There were “striking” scenes in the skies above the southwest of Western Australia on Sunday afternoon, as a quarter of a million lightning strikes sparked a spectacular sky show. The awesome natural fireworks display was caused by a trough moving through the area, with significantly cooler air behind the warm airmass east of the […]
The first tropical cyclone to form near the Australian region this season is about to unleash a burst of severe weather in Vanuatu. Tropical Cyclone Lola formed to the northeast of Vanuatu on Sunday. As it developed outside the eastern boundary of Australia’s area of responsibility, Lola was named by the Fiji Meteorological Service. Lola […]
The first tropical cyclone of the season is likely to form early next week near the Solomon Islands and could move into Australian waters. A tropical low-pressure system developed to the east of the Solomon Islands on Friday morning and has been named Tropical Low 01U by the Bureau of Meteorology. The […]
There are early indications that a tropical cyclone could form near the Solomon Islands next week, with some forecast models suggesting the system could briefly enter Australia’s area of responsibility. Australia’s official tropical cyclone season runs from November until April. During this 6-month period, we typically see around 9 to 10 tropical cyclones forming […]
Australia’s tropical cyclone season will be affected by one of the strongest El Niño events in recent decades. So, how many tropical cyclones will Australia see this season? Australia’s official tropical cyclone season runs from November until April. While tropical cyclones can form in or near the Australian region at any time of year, […]
One of the world’s most consistent thunderstorms developed for the first time this season, signalling that the ‘build up’ across the north has begun. The image below shows the famous thunderstorm developing to Darwin’s north on Thursday afternoon. Image: Himawari satellite image at 3:15pm on Thursday, October 5. Nearly every afternoon the thunderstorm forms […]
A powerful northeasterly surf will build off NSW on Wednesday, followed almost immediately by a strong southerly swell, as an unusually strong transient low develops over the state. A cold front and trough crossing western NSW on Tuesday afternoon will stall overnight as a low pressure spins up (likely centred near Wagga Wagga) and starts […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is gaining strength to the northwest of Australia, increasing the risk of hot and dry weather and fires in the coming months. What is the IOD? The IOD is an index that measures the difference in sea surface temperature anomalies between the western and eastern sides of the […]
Hailstorms are one of Australia’s most costly natural disasters. New research suggests that they are becoming more frequent in some of Australia’s cities. What is hail? Hailstones are made of layers of ice which form in thunderstorm updraughts. Hailstones grow larger by colliding with other rain droplets and ice particles in the updraft, until they […]
Australia’s tropical cyclone season is officially underway, but we may not see much activity for few months yet. The season runs from November to April, and for mining operators and businesses across northern Australia, 2026-27 is shaping up to be a season where the headline numbers and the real risk may not line up. On […]
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is underway, but this one is unlikely to deliver the textbook dry spring and summer that businesses have come to expect from the pattern. The Bureau of Meteorology officially declared a positive IOD on Tuesday, October 27, which typically like El Niño can cause drier and warmer conditions over parts of […]
Waters off Indonesia have cooled in recent weeks, an indication that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event could be developing. It’s an important climate driver for Australia, and it could shape rainfall and temperatures heading into summer, with flow-on effects for farmers, energy and other industries. What is the Indian Ocean Dipole? The IOD […]
Leonora, WA, had its wettest September day on record earlier this month. Three weeks later, more than 1.3 million lightning pulses were detected within 800 km of the town in 48 hours. Why is a stalled trough delivering storms to mining country, and what it could mean for operations? The DTN Total Lightning Network detected […]
