Articles like this one in today’s Australian (with an accompanying editorial odd when so much else was happening this week) are meant to confound and confuse…and of course delay climate action…

Second driest April on record for NSW, behind April 1997 at the start of the strong 1997-98 El Niño. Also driest April for the Murray Darling Basin since 1997, and the 7th driest April for the MDB on record. www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/clim...

The April weather story for Australia is very much about rain - or the lack of it - especially in eastern Australia.

In other news: www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

The big wet across parts of central Australia meant, among other things, that Australia posted a relatively cool March. The coolest since March 2012, at least for maximums: (via BoM):

Noteworthy heat source for tropical cyclone Narelle

Unusually, The Australian runs a piece (via WSJ) in praise of EVs… though you have to read to the end…

One other chart for summer… Coral Sea surface temperatures hit a record high for the summer just past… (Via BoM)

So let’s take a look at Australian weather in February and across the summer…with some BoM charts. Here’s how February stacked up for maximum temperatures…with the blue region coinciding with the unusually heavy rains)…

A very wet February for much of inland Australia…

The Washington Post was consistently doing some of the best climate reporting out there in recent years. This is a huge loss (h/t @sammyroth.bsky.social) open.substack.com/pub/climatec...

Just to close the loop here. A cozy club of just the very worst people.

January was another above-average month in Australia…not a big surprise but the size of the area with average maximums for the month of 39C or higher is notable:

South Australia’s Port Augusta hits 50C… and how it stacks up historically (via BoM)

Another scorching day in southeastern Australia… with NSW setting its equal-8th hottest day as 48.6C reached (so far). Via BoM

Sydney in mid-summer…

Victoria has set a new all-time heat record at just under 49C, while Doiyh Australia has set its equal-fourth hottest day (and equal 10th nationally for January). Via BoM

Victoria already at 48C and Melbourne nearing 40C and the wholesale power prices in the state are on a par with NSW (even though Sydney sub-27C). Solar PV coming in very handy so far today…. (Via BoM and Reddolphins)

Telling it like it should be told: www.linkedin.com/posts/dradam...

Exquisite timing for this piece in the Murdoch media as Melbourne set to reach 45C today, with 49C possible elsewhere in Victoria. Fire risk elevated too.

Australia’s worst heatwave since black summer made five times more likely by global heating, analysis finds …. As another heatwave sweeps eastwards : www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

AFR points out shark ‘attacks’ are well below the 2015 peak…and that compares with rising beach visits as the population swells…

you know this guy is a FOR REAL photographer because he's telling the story of his brutal, unconditional arrest by federal goons and can't help but slip in a gear review

Here’s Matt Kean’s first oped of the year, kindly published by @reneweconomy.com.au. Victoria’s fires (and now floods) underscore the need for Australia to have fit-for-future climate science and modelling: reneweconomy.com.au/australias-c...

Big heatwave, including over most of NSW, but with lots of wind and sunshine driving up renewable ms generation, battery operators are enjoying some bumper returns for charging up… (Via Reddolphins)

Unusually uniform forecasts for Sydney at the height of a severe heatwave. Bondi and Penrith having the same maximum suggests no coastal relief…

Unusual to see Wilson’s Prom at almost 45C, and to be the hottest place in Victoria. (WA and SA have readings above 45C). Via BoM

No wonder climate scientists get frustrated… here’s what the Howard government was told 20 years ago… and yet the advice went largely unheeded. recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...

Sub-editors still at the beach?

A coolish December but Australia posted its fourth hottest year on record in 2025, according to mean temperatures. All of those four hot years have been since 2013. (Data all via the Bureau of Meteorology):

On water matters…

So, here’s how Australia’s weather shaped up for November and spring… starting with November maximums… (cool in south, warm in the northeast):

Matt Kean, Chair of the Climate Change Authority, laid out a few energy facts at #Cop30 in #Belem: www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au/sites/defaul...

‘Deathly silent’: two out of three corals in world heritage-listed Ningaloo reef have been killed, scientists confirm www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This is an interesting article from @financialtimes.com … but it’s only part of the story. We visited Guizhou in August, including Zunyi, which was popular. Some other sites such as Longli, where a lot of investment had gone in, were largely deserted…

From Matt Kean, on the need to stay the course on net zero by 2050… or sooner: www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Matt Kean, on staying the course with Net Zero: www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

October was another well-above average month for temperatures…here’s what maximums looked like:

Matt Kean on why you can’t blame Tomago’s woes on renewables: www.afr.com/companies/en...

October was a relatively dry one for most of NSW and parts of southwest WA… Via BoM

Sydney forecast to have its hottest October day on record tomorrow… (Present record is 38.2C in October 2004) Via BoM

Mid-spring and temperatures are climbing in Sydney by Wednesday to 38C…putting the October record of 38.2C in play. Penrith (right) looking at 40C…not a good sign for the coming summer… (Via BoM)

Sculpture by the Sea… soon to open in Sydney

Among the curious elements of Queensland’s energy roadmaps is the choice of 2015 as the ‘weather reference year… www.treasury.qld.gov.au/files/Queens...

What a life… www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Here’s September’s weather wrap, starting with another above average month for maximum temperatures for Australia:

September was another dry month across large areas of Australia’s southeast… (Via BoM)

‘Bombshell report’, indeed… though I might gone with a different adjective…

August turned relatively damp in parts of the east and west of Australia…(via BoM)

Chair of the Climate Change Authority, Matt Kean, op-Ed in the SMH/Age on the need to protect our weather forecasts from US cuts, with links to our earlier Conversation article. www.linkedin.com/posts/matt-k...