What is lightning?
While lightning is a striking display, it is an extremely dangerous weather phenomenon. But what is lightning and how does it form? Lightning is an electrical discharge that can occur within a cloud, between clouds, and between the cloud and the ground. Lightning is also extremely...
How do thunderstorms form?
Thunderstorms are one of nature’s most spectacular displays, with lightning and thunder causing a captivating mix of visual and acoustic effects. But what are thunderstorms and how do they form? Thunderstorms are an electrical storm that can produce lightning,...
Sudden Sunday storm smashes Sydney’s Northern Beaches
A rapidly developing severe thunderstorm struck Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Sunday afternoon, lashing several suburbs with destructive winds, lightning and heavy rain. The storm initially formed over northwest Sydney shortly before 3pm local time on Sunday. By 3:10...
Longest day of the year is here
Australia’s longest day of the year is upon us, with the summer solstice occurring across the Southern Hemisphere last night. Throughout each year, the tilt of our planet’s rotation axis changes relative to the sun. This simply means the north and south poles tilt...
Perth preparing for record-challenging Christmas heat
Perth is in store for a scorching Christmas Day as an extremely hot air mass heads towards southwestern Australia. Earlier this week, temperatures reached 47.9ºC at Mardie in WA’s Pilbara district. This was the highest temperature recorded in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere so...
Will Australia see another tropical cyclone in 2021?
There are early signs that tropical cyclone activity could pick up in the Australian region between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We have already seen three tropical cyclones in the Australian region since the start of the cyclone season on November...
Antarctica posts 2nd smallest November sea ice extent on record
Amid our planet’s fourth warmest November in 142 years of records, Antarctica’s sea ice extent dipped to its second smallest November level in the satellite era. Despite the cooling effect of La Niña, the global surface temperature in...
Early look at Australia’s Christmas forecast
A hot air mass building over Australia this week will set the stage for a quintessentially hot and sweaty Christmas in some parts of the country. While large areas of Australia were kept unusually cool during November by...
