Heatwaves, droughts, and bushfires are all part and parcel of life on the land in Australia, but in recent years freak weather events such as tornadoes and dust storms have become increasingly common – and experts believe that trend will continue.

In the past 12 months alone the country has experienced not only one of the most devastating bushfire seasons, but a nationwide dust storm, golf ball-size hail at Parliament House and two tornadoes in regional Victoria.

A Bureau of Meteorology report indicates that climate change is at the core of those intense weather patterns and storm events.

“Our science clearly shows that, due to increasing greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere, Australia’s climate is continuing to warm, and the frequency of extreme events such as bushfires, droughts, and marine heatwaves is growing,” CSIRO Climate Science Centre director Dr Jaci Brown said.

Front of Parliament House after a hail storm in January 2020.

Australian National University Climate Change Institute has also been tracking the weather patterns across the country and has seen an increase in those types of extreme weather conditions.

Read the full article on The Weekly Times website, featuring Prof Mark Howden