A huge El Niño on the horizon bodes ill for drought and forest fire.
Gamba Grass is altering fire regimes in the Top End, threatening human life and property, natural assets including Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, and compromising savanna burning programs.
Samantha Setterfield
One of the Australian government’s new research priorities is “environmental change”. But can be hard to know how to tackle such huge and interlinked issues as climate change and species extinctions.
People in the Philippines have been warned to brace for wet and wild weather, as this year’s El Nino shapes up to be the strongest since 1998.
EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO/AAP
The seesaw between El Niño and La Niña is set to get stronger with global warming. Signs are that this year and next will deliver a big swing from one to the other, prompting fires and floods across the world.
The large 1982 El Niño contributed to the Ash Wednesday bushfires that killed 75 people in south east Australia.
Sydney Oats/Wikimedia
Bushfires can be deadly and destroy homes and properties. But knowing where they are likely to spread next can help emergency services.
Science shows alpine grazing doesn’t reduce bushfire risk and damages the environment. But the issue will no doubt continue to be debated.
AAP Image/Bob Richardson
Controlling bushfire risk by burning a set percentage of land every year sounds sensible - but a more sophisticated approach is needed to truly safeguard both humans and wildlife in rural areas.
Is this image of destruction after Cyclone Pam a sign of things to come?
Sgt Neil Bryden RAF, British Ministry of Defence/AAP
Historically, bushfires have played an important role in Australian literature, adding a touch of exoticism in fiction written for readers back in Europe, while also offering insights into the dangers…
Kinglake Road after Black Saturday Fires.
Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC
This summer has seen a predictable share of fires in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Western Australia, flooding in Queensland, and several severe thunderstorms. However, there are already…
Carbon dioxide levels are rising at their fastest rate since the dinosaurs’ time.
iurii/Shutterstock.com
The latest climate projections released last week by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO predict that Australia could potentially warm by between 2.8C and 5.1C by 2090. Meanwhile, the 2014 State of the…
Whether leaving early or staying to defend, a reliable and adaptable bushfire survival plan is a must.
AAP Image/David Mariuz
The latest round of bushfires, which claimed 27 homes in the Adelaide Hills, has once again highlighted the importance of planning for the worst. Mercifully, no human lives were lost, and it will be important…
The South Australian bushfires have destroyed many homes including this one in Greenwith in the outer suburbs of Adelaide.
AAP Image/David Mariuz
Dozens of homes and outbuildings have been destroyed in bushfires that have ravaged parts of South Australia reminding us again how poorly adapted we are to bushfire prone landscapes. With 15 years experience…
Bushfire in the Adelaide hills has already burned through more than 12,000 hectares.
David Mariuz/AAP
The fires that have swept through South Australia over the past few days have destroyed at least 12,000 hectares and up to 38 homes, in what have been described as the worst South Australian conditions…
Horses cool off during an Adelaide heatwave in January 2014.
AAP Image/David Mariuz
2014 has been confirmed as Australia’s third-hottest year, capping off a record-breaking decade, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s annual climate statement, released today. Seven of Australia’s…