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This perspective paper presents a conceptual, theoretical framework of the weather as a determinant of mental health for farmers. This model proposes that the effects of extreme weather events have interacting and cumulative effects for farmers, who are dependent on the land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events such as floods, bushfires, cyclones, and drought, are projected to increase in eastern Australia. Understanding how these events influence the combined, sustainable well-being of humans, animals, and ecosystems - that is One Health - will enable development of transdisciplinary and ultimately more effective interventions. A scoping review was conducted to explore the research associated with the effects of extreme weather events in eastern Australia using a One Health lens, specifically identifying the type of extreme weather events studied, the research conducted in the context of One Health, and gaps to inform improved One Health implementation. The review followed JBI guidelines (based on PRISMA). Eligible research was peer-reviewed, in English, and published since 2007, in which primary research studies investigated the impact of extreme weather events in eastern Australia on at least two of ecosystems, human health, and animal health. Using structured search terms, six databases were searched. Following removal of duplicates, 870 records were screened by two reviewers. Eleven records were eligible for data extraction and charting. The scope of extreme weather events studied was relatively limited, with studies in flood and bushfire settings predominating, but relatively little research on cyclones. Major health themes included more than the impact of extreme weather events on physical health (zoonotic and vector-borne diseases) through investigation of social well-being and mental health in the context of the human-animal bond in evacuation behaviors and drought. Research gaps include studies across a broader range of extreme weather events and health topics, as well as a more comprehensive approach to including the impacts of extreme weather events on all three domains of One Health. The limited research focus inevitably translates to limited recommendations for policy, planning and response to manage extreme weather event emergencies. Given the expected increase in frequency of these events, there is a critical need for more comprehensive primary research to better identify strategies and facilitate implementation of One Health promotion for improved outcomes in extreme weather event emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, escalating extreme weather events have significantly affected New South Wales (NSW), Australia, with unprecedented droughts and intense fires. Yet, the impact on water quality and purification processes remains insufficiently studied. This research focuses on the immediate changes in NSW's environmental water quality and issues in water purification unit operations following the 2019 bushfires. Water samples and maintenance records from affected catchments, intakes, purification units, and reservoirs were analysed. Compared to control samples, post-bushfire water exhibited high turbidity. Sediment and ash shock loads posed significant threats to aquatic ecosystems. Elevated turbidity, suspended sediments, pH, and alkalinity were major concerns for water purification. Raw water samples showed turbidity exceeding 195 NTU, with flocculation and sedimentation most impacted. Immediate measures included sediment traps, aeration, pre-chlorination, and inline monitoring. These findings inform strategies to mitigate bushfire impacts on water quality and optimise water purification in fire-prone regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events across coastal environments are expected to increase in frequency under predicted climate change scenarios. These events can impact coastal recreational fisheries and their supporting ecosystems by influencing the productivity of fish stocks or altering behaviours and decision-making among fishers. Using off-site telephone/diary survey data on estuarine and oceanic recreational fishing activity in eastern Australia, we analyse interannual and geographic variability in bream (Acanthopagrus spp) and snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) catch, total effort and total catch per unit effort (CPUE) through a period (2013/2014, 2017/2018 and 2019/2020) that encompassed severe drought, bushfires and flooding. Interacting spatial and temporal differences were detected for bream and may reflect spatial variation in the intensity and extent of some of the extreme weather events. The catch of snapper did not change temporally, providing little evidence that this species' catch may be influenced by the extreme weather events. Independent bioregional and temporal effects on effort were detected, while CPUE only showed significant bioregional differences. Although adverse conditions created by the extreme weather events may have dissuaded fisher participation and impacted effort, we propose that the observed temporal patterns in effort reflect the early influence of socio-economic changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic on coastal recreational fishing, over and above the impacts of extreme weather events. This study demonstrates how interrelated ecological, social and economic factors can shape coastal recreational fisheries and facilitates development of management strategies to address future threats to the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has resulted in a worldwide increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather events including bushfires. Previous research has shown that communities often do not engage in disaster preparedness, even when sufficient education and resources are provided. With the projected increase in natural disasters, preparedness is paramount, and more research is needed to gain an understanding into what impacts community preparedness in the face of climate change. This study investigated one rural Australian community's preparedness for the 2019–2020 bushfires. Thirteen Australian adults who resided within a small rural community in New South Wales during the 2019–2020 bushfires participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants reported being unprepared for the 2019–2020 bushfires and that the community has started to prepare for future bushfires. However, they also described a belief in 'climate cycles' rather than climate change, limiting engagement in preparedness for future hazards. Participants also reported that they did not talk about the 2019–2020 bushfires, although described experiencing residual anxiety. Recommendations included support needed for rural communities to help with future preparedness efforts and mental health symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather (high rainfall and temperatures) and challenging soils are sources of uncertainties in the use of current crop models that have been developed for more favorable environments. This may limit their applicability to guide and support decision making for the development of new agricultural regions in tropical environments. We evaluated the accuracy of the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) framework in representing yield and development of a range of crops across multiple locations in the Northern Territory of Australia, a tropical region with large potential for agricultural development. Observations of yield, biomass, and phenology for a range of crops from 28 experiments undertaken at three locations were compiled and used to develop simulations undertaken using APSIM version 7.10. Model performance varied with coefficients of determination and concordance correlation coefficients ranging from 0.36 to 0.98 and 0.37 to 0.93, respectively. Instances where model performance was less than ideal were associated with conditions presenting a limited number of observed values. Deviations by the model from yield observations were larger for situations with high‐yielding crops and low daily maximum temperatures during vegetative growth stages. Deviations in phenology were larger for conditions associated with water and N stress. APSIM was capable of representing the yield, biomass, and development of cereal and pulse crops and can be used with confidence to assist the expansion of agriculture in tropical environments such as the Northern Territory of Australia. Core Ideas: The accuracy of crop models for environments frequented by challenging weather and soils is rarely reported.We showed that the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) performs well in one such environment, the Northern Territory of Australia.APSIM can be used with confidence in environments with challenging weather and soil conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scavenging dynamics are influenced by many abiotic and biotic factors, but there is little knowledge of how scavengers respond to extreme weather events. As carrion is a major driver of the organisation and structure of food webs within ecological communities, understanding the response of scavengers to extreme weather events is critical in a world that is increasingly subject to climate change. In this study, vertebrate scavenging and carcass persistence rates were quantified in the Simpson Desert of central Australia; a system that experiences major fluctuations and extremes in weather conditions. Specifically, a total of 80 adult red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) carcasses were placed on the landscape and monitored using remote sensor cameras. This included 40 carcasses monitored before and then 40 carcasses monitored after a major flooding event. The carcasses were monitored equally before and after the flood across different seasons (warm and cool) and in dune and interdune habitats. Overall, a total of 8124 scavenging events for 97,976 visitation minutes were recorded for 11 vertebrate species within 30 days of carcass placement pre- and post-flood. Vertebrate scavenging increased post-flood in the warm season, especially by corvids which quadrupled their scavenging events during this time. There was little difference in carcass persistence between habitats, but carcasses persisted 5.3-fold longer post-flood in warm seasons despite increased vertebrate scavenging. The results demonstrate that a flood event can influence scavenging dynamics and suggest a need to further understand how seasons, habitats and extreme weather events can drive changes in carrion-based food webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented on the application of the 'one health' approach to address the mental health impacts of extreme weather events, particularly drought in rural Australia. Topics include the interconnectedness between human, animal, and environmental health, the disproportionate impact of extreme weather events on rural communities, and the need for transdisciplinary collaboration to address threats to ecosystems and health.

Objective: To explore young people's (YP) experiences of catastrophic flooding in the Northern Rivers area of northern NSW in 2017 and its effect on their mental health. Design: Content analysis of free‐text survey responses (written responses to open questions, rather than selecting a response option). Setting: Northern Rivers NSW. Participants: YP aged 16–25 years who were Northern Rivers residents at the time of the 2017 flood. Results: YP found their flood experience to be novel and challenging. They expressed worry, distress, anxiety, and worsened pre‐existing mental health issues as a result of the flood. YP reported a number of primary stressors (inadequate preparedness, warning and support during the flood) and secondary stressors (loss/damage of property and possessions, financial strain and disruptions to daily life) which potentially contributed to poor mental health. Some YP reported positive outcomes from their flood experience, notably increased community connectedness and personal resilience. However, they also expressed concern for the future, particularly potential reoccurrence of extreme floods as well as climate change. YP conveyed a desire for better community involvement to improve preparedness for future floods and a clear motivation to take action on climate change. Conclusion: The flood was a challenging experience for YP which was commonly described as negatively affecting their mental health. Understanding what YP view as significant events or issues arising from their personal flood experience may help target support mechanisms and services to maintain their mental. More focus on community‐based initiatives to improve disaster preparedness can support mental health in YP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Extreme heat causes a major health burden, especially for older Australians. Objective: To assess the impact of extreme heat on older regional and rural Australians, including clinical presentations, social implications, and health‐seeking behaviours and adaptations. Design: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. Findings: Ten articles were included in the review with research on this topic limited. Extreme heat causes an increase in mortality and ambulance dispatches for older rural Australians. Social connectedness is negatively affected by extreme heat due to cancellation of events and individuals becoming housebound. Air conditioning is the main cooling mechanism used, although cost is a major concern. Despite this, older rural populations display a depth of knowledge regarding practical behavioural responses to adapt to extreme heat. Studies show older rural Australians do not consider extreme heat to be a threat to health. Discussion: Further research needs to examine the role extreme heat may play in contributing to experiences of loneliness. Air conditioning cannot be the ultimate solution in responding to extreme heat due to cost and increased carbon emissions. The low‐risk perception of extreme heat for older rural people may inform effective heat health warnings and effective use of primary health care in heat‐health education. Listening to First Nations knowledge in dealing with heat may provide a powerful mechanism in which to protect health. Conclusion: The extensive health effects of extreme heat highlights the necessity of further research and strengthening of services in preparation for an ageing rural population enduring climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Science-Industry Workshop on Severe Convective Storms brought together about 80 attendees from various sectors in Sydney, Australia to discuss severe storms and foster connections between researchers and industry representatives. The workshop covered key topics such as convective storm hazards and impacts, storm prediction, assessing storm risk, community readiness and recovery, impacts on utilities and agriculture, changing storm hazards, data availability, and building connections for the future. The workshop identified outcomes related to the Australian severe storm community, support for early-career researchers, data sharing, and knowledge gaps in storm science. The workshop aimed to establish ongoing communication channels and collaborations within the severe storm science community in Australia. [Extracted from the article]

Extreme weather events such as floods are becoming more frequent, and pose a substantial threat to Australia's nearshore marine communities. In March 2021, a 450 km stretch of the eastern NSW coastline experienced a La Niña-related rainfall event over several days, resulting in large volumes of freshwater ingress to marine systems. Port Stephens, an estuary 250 km north of Sydney, recorded its highest week of rainfall on record. This was followed by two more flood events in March 2022 and June 2022. Prior to 2021, the marine-dominant Eastern Port of Port Stephens was home to the world's largest aggregations of Dendronephthya australis, an endangered species of soft coral endemic to the south-east coast of Australia. Using data from a 2019–2022 D. australis monitoring program in Port Stephens, spanning the unprecedented series of flood events in 2021–2022, we detail the impacts of flood events on the population. Prior to the floods, aggregations of colonies were persisting, and individuals were growing at two of the four monitored sites. However, flooding in March 2021 caused a 91% decline in the remaining areal extent of D. australis. Modelling of likely causative factors highlighted water depth as the most significant environmental variable correlated with coral loss. Corals in shallower waters experienced lower salinity and were the most impacted. Continued monitoring during 2021 and 2022 documented the loss of all remaining aggregations in the estuary after further La Niña-related rainfall events, to the point where D. australis is now on the brink of localised extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive review of uncertainties in power systems, covering modeling, impact, and mitigation, is essential to understand and manage the challenges faced by the electric grid. Uncertainties in power systems can arise from various sources and can have significant implications for grid reliability, stability, and economic efficiency. Australia, susceptible to extreme weather such as wildfires and heavy rainfall, faces vulnerabilities in its power network assets. The decentralized distribution of population centers poses economic challenges in supplying power to remote areas, which is a crucial consideration for the emerging technologies emphasized in this paper. In addition, the evolution of modern power grids, facilitated by deploying the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), has also brought new challenges to the system due to the risk of cyber-attacks via communication links. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive review and analysis of uncertainties in modern power systems, encompassing uncertainties related to weather events, cyber-attacks, and asset management, as well as the advantages and limitations of various mitigation approaches. To fill this void, this review covers a broad spectrum of uncertainties considering their impacts on the power system and explores conventional robust control as well as modern probabilistic and data-driven approaches for modeling and correlating the uncertainty events to the state of the grid for optimal decision making. This article also investigates the development of robust and scenario-based operations, control technologies for microgrids (MGs) and energy storage systems (ESSs), and demand-side frequency control ancillary service (D-FCAS) and reserve provision for frequency regulation to ensure a design of uncertainty-tolerance power system. This review delves into the trade-offs linked with the implementation of mitigation strategies, such as reliability, computational speed, and economic efficiency. It also explores how these strategies may influence the planning and operation of future power grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Centre for Medium range weather forecast (ECMWF) on behalf of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) has recently widened the fire danger data offering in the Climate Data Store (CDS) to include a set of fire danger forecasts with lead times up to 7 months. The dataset incorporates fire danger indices for three different models developed in Canada, United States and Australia. The indices are calculated using ECMWF Seasonal Forecasting System 5 (SEAS5) and verified against the relevant reanalysis of fire danger based on the ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA5). The data set is made openly available for the period 1981 to 2023 and will be updated regularly providing a resource to assess the predictability of fire weather at the seasonal time scale. The data set complements the availability of seasonal forecast provided by the Copernicus Emergency Management Service in real time. A preliminary analysis shows that globally anomalous conditions for fire weather can be predicted with confidence 1 month ahead. In some regions the prediction can extend to 2 months ahead. In most situations beyond this horizon, forecasts do not show more skill than climatology. However an extended predictability window, up to 6-7 months ahead is possible when anomalous fire weather is the results of large scale phenomena such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole, often conducive of extensive fire burning in regions such as Indonesia and Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals on a grand scale are victims of climate change and of natural disaster. With no voice within human cultures, their plight can be silenced and forgotten once an extreme weather event is over and when media coverage of the devastation has ceased. The creative arts have an important role to play in raising public awareness of and empathy for animals impacted by natural disaster. This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of the Australian play Fire by Scott Alderdice (2017), framed by Animal Studies perspectives. The voices of the animals in Fire, as expressed through language -- dialogue and narration -- are the focus of the analysis to determine how the play engages in the concepts of considering other-than-human interests; imagining and representing animals and their significance; personifying species' presence using human speech to offset facelessness; and inspiring humans to take responsibility in this time of climate crisis and natural disaster. Fire provides an exemplar for theatrical expression giving voice to animals in times of crisis. An examination of the narration and dialogue of the animal characters reveals a respectful representation of native Australian animals, who are shown to be sentient and social beings intimately entwined with the environment in which they live. The language use by the animals throughout elicits recognition and empathy and subsequently feelings of grief and of guilt. The play inspires humans to take responsibility by considering animals' perspectives and interests; understanding their significance in the world; and performing our role to protect the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropocentric climate change presents an existential threat through impacts such as rising sea levels, effects on agricultural crops and extreme weather events. However, governments, businesses and communities struggle to wean off fossil fuel dependency. In this article, we argue that this is due to the grip of fossil fuel hegemony. To explain this grip, we draw on the theoretical perspectives of new materialism to examine how fossil fuels and politics interact in upholding Australia's fossil fuel regime. Our analysis, based on 70 qualitative interviews conducted with politicians and political advisors, fossil fuel executives and experts and environmental activists, shows three processes – establishment, entrenchment and encroachment – through which political-material entanglements lock in a fossil fuel-based future. These processes are both discursive, with politicians and industry downplaying, if not outright denying, the climate emergency and material, with investment in new mines and infrastructure even while the negative ecological impacts of fossil fuel use gather pace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme fire weather and fire behavior occurred during the New Year's Eve period 30–31 December 2019 in southeast New South Wales, Australia. Fire progressed rapidly during the late evening and early morning periods, and significant extreme pyrocumulonimbus behavior developed, sometimes repeatedly in the same area. This occurred within a broader context of an unprecedented fire season in eastern Australia. Several aspects of the synoptic and mesoscale meteorology are examined, to identify contributions to fire behavior during this period. The passage of a cold front through the region was a key factor in the event, but other processes contributed to the severity of fire weather. Additional important features during this period included the movement of a negatively tilted upper-tropospheric trough, the interaction of the front with topography, and the occurrence of low-level overnight jets and of horizontal boundary layer rolls in the vicinity of the fireground. Significance Statement: Wildfires and the weather that promotes their ignition and spread are a threat to communities and natural values globally, even in fire-adapted landscapes such as the western United States and Australia. In particular, savanna in the north of Australia regularly burns during the dry season while forest and grassland in the south burn episodically, mostly during the summer. Here, we examine the weather associated with destructive fires that occurred in southeast New South Wales, Australia, in late 2019. Weather and climate factors at several scales interacted to contribute to fire activity that was unusually dangerous. For meteorologists and emergency managers, case studies such as this are valuable to highlight conditions that may lead to future similar events. This case study also identified areas where improvements in fire weather service can be made, including the incorporation of more detailed weather information into models of fire behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rossby wave packets (RWPs), are atmospheric perturbations linked to the occurrence of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, extratropical cyclone development and other equally destructive phenomena. Under certain circumstances, these packets can last from several days to 2–3 weeks in the atmosphere. Therefore, forecast models should be able to correctly predict their formation and development to enhance extreme weather events prediction from 10 to 30 days in advance. In this study, we assess whether the NCEP and IAP‐CAS sub‐seasonal forecast models can predict the evolution of observed RWPs that last more than 8 days (long‐lived RWPs or LLRWPs) during southern hemisphere summer. Results show that the NCEP (IAP‐CAS) model forecasts LLRWPs that appear eastward (westward) from the observed LLRWPs. Both models forecasted LLRWPs that rapidly lose energy after the 6th–7th lead day of simulation, which could limit LLRWPs prediction to the synoptic time scale. Additionally, both models better forecast LLRWPs when the packets manifest in the eastern Pacific. Southern Annular mode (SAM) and El Niño Southern‐Oscillation (ENSO) do not seem to exert a large influence in the representation of LLRWPs. Nevertheless, during the best LLRWPs forecasts, the observed circulation anomalies signal the manifestation of negative SAM events. In contrast, both forecast models struggle at forecasting LLRWPs when a blocking situation develops to the South of Australia. Lastly, an inactive Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) seems to favor the development of accurate LLRWPs forecasts, whereas during phases 3, 5 in the NCEP model and 3, 8 for IAP‐CAS, the models struggle at forecasting LLRWPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is adversely affected by global warming (GW), as its well-known cycles of droughts, floods, and extreme weather events are increasingly amplified by GW. Here, the focus is the impacts of GW on populous southeast Australia. Machine Learning attribution techniques have been applied to identify the main drivers of these impacts. This article presents the detection examples of the most relevant drivers, individually and in combination, responsible for observed trends in precipitation and temperature due to GW [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-induced climate change has resulted in long-term drying trends across southern Australia, particularly during the cool season, with the most pronounced impacts observed in the southwest since the 1970s. Although these trends have been linked to changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation features, the limited number of daily weather datasets that extend into the pre-industrial period have so far prevented an assessment of the long-term context of synoptic-level changes associated with global warming. To address this need, we present the development of the longest sub-daily atmospheric pressure, temperature and rainfall records for Australia beginning in 1830. We first consolidate a range of historical observations from the two southern Australian cities of Perth and Adelaide. After assessing the quality and homogeneity of these records, we verify their ability to capture the weather and climate features produced by the Southern Hemisphere's key climate modes of variability. Our analysis shows the historical observations are sensitive to the influence of large-scale dynamical drivers of Australian climate, as well as the relationship between southwestern and southeastern Australia. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of the dataset to resolve daily weather extremes by examining three severe storms that occurred in the nineteenth century associated with westerly storm tracks that influence southern Australia. The historical dataset introduced here provides a foundation for investigating pre-industrial weather and climate variability in southern Australia, extending the potential for attribution studies of anthropogenically-influenced weather and climate extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentil production in arable, Mediterranean-type climates is limited by acute high temperature (HT) commonly occurring during the reproductive stage. With changing climate and greater weather extremes, there is a need to increase the HT tolerance of lentil to sustain production, and global germplasm provides adaptation opportunities. The current study assessed 81 genotypes for HT tolerance from a range of global climatic zones. Field screening of germplasm was undertaken over two consecutive years (2014 and 2015), in southern Australia, using a late-sowing approach, which included a subset of 22 genotypes that were screened in both years. Partially shaded temperature treatments within a split-plot arrangement were used to generate two different HT profiles. Stress indices, i.e., the yield stability index (YSI), the stress tolerance index (STI), and a third proposed high-temperature tolerance index (HTTI), were applied to rank the HT tolerance of germplasm. In 2014, under field conditions associated with natural temperature ranges that were favorable for screening, the following five landraces with increased temperature tolerance were identified: AGG 73838, AGG 70118, AGG 70951, AGG 70156, and AGG 70549. Among the 10 commercial varieties tested, one variety (i.e., cv. Nipper) was observed to have HT tolerance. For the YSI, which had the greatest amount of consistency in response across the 2 years (11 of the 22 genotypes), there were two genotypes (AGG 71457 and Nipper) which maintained their yield stability. These results demonstrate the opportunity that germplasm provides to improve the adaptation of lentil to HT. Ultimately, the late-sowing approach is one possible methodology to integrate into contemporary breeding programs for improving adaptation of lentil within Mediterranean-type environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is experiencing an accelerated rate of climate-related extreme weather events, and many of the solutions to reduce the exposure to climate-risk are nature-based, governing urban forests, waterways, and stormwater. However, the governance of nature-based solutions in Australian cities is still fragmented and piecemeal, generally lacking a coherent narrative and widespread support. What is needed are institutional spaces that mainstream such solutions. In this paper, we draw on a case study of urban forestry implementation across metropolitan Melbourne, as a lens to examine the creation and evolution of such institutional spaces. We explain the functions and design characteristics of institutional spaces from the perspective of the requirements for establishing and maintaining institutional spaces and what is produced or the outcomes from institutional spaces. The mobilisation and evolution of institutional spaces are important to understand for the impact on the planning and governance of individual cities as well as the metropolitan region. Our key findings frame institutional spaces as relational, learning-oriented, collaborative, and empowering spaces that facilitate transformative agendas and actions for the mainstreaming of nature-based solutions in cities. From these findings, we identify seven recommendations for how practitioners can make the most of institutional spaces. Practitioner pointers Creating space to bridge silos, foster experimentation, and develop evidence-based policy is critical to mainstream nature-based solutions. Collaborative approaches are essential for effective institutional spaces, to participate in networking and knowledge co-production opportunities. Actors in institutional spaces facilitate mainstreaming by learning from and building on policy and practice legacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shade and shelter may provide protection from cold and heat stress, a source of feed during prolonged or seasonal drought, specific essential nutrients, increased pasture and crop production and improved landscape health. Cold stress contributes to the average of 8% (single) and 24% (twin) of lambs that die within 3 days of birth in Australia and the estimated 0.7% of the Australian flock that die post-shearing during extreme or unseasonal weather. Shelter has resulted in an average reduction in mortality of 17.5% for twin-born lambs and 7% for single-born lambs according to Australian studies and decreases the susceptibility of ewes to metabolic disease and possibly dystocia. Because many of the published studies are from research areas where cold stress is expected, they are not indicative of industry-wide responses, a research priority is to determine the probability of lamb and ewe deaths from cold stress across different sheep production areas. Although shelter may improve lamb survival, ewes do not always choose to lamb in a sheltered location. For this reason, there is a requirement for research into the voluntary use of shelter in commercial-sized paddocks and the role that nutritive value of shelter plays in attracting and holding ewes to shelter, and to their lambs. Heat stress may also result in lamb deaths and influences feed conversion efficiency, appetite, reproduction, wool growth and disease susceptibility. The consequences of heat stress may go unnoticed over a yearly production cycle, although there is some evidence that shade may increase weaning rates and feed intake of grazing sheep. There are ancillary benefits from shade and shelter. Trees may improve crop production through reducing wind damage and evapotranspiration and provide timber. Shrubs provide feed during the summer–autumn feed gap or drought, are useful for the management of land degradation and provide habitat for native fauna. It is clear that shade and shelter in the correct locations provide a range of benefits to livestock and the landscape; nevertheless, adoption appears low. Research that focuses on defining the benefits on a farm or landscape scale is required to support extension programs. Cold stress causes deaths of lambs and adults and influences production and health of sheep in Australia. Heat stress also results in lamb deaths, depressed feed utilisation and reproduction and increased disease susceptibility. Benefits from shade and shelter include improved survival and health, increased crop production, decreased land degradation, feed during drought and habitat for native fauna. Adoption is low and information on benefits at a farm or landscape scale is required to support extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change produces more extreme weather, it is increasingly important to understand the impacts of these changes on social behaviour. The relationship between weather and crime has been studied across numerous contexts. However, few studies examine the correlation between weather and violence in southern, non-temperate climates. In addition, the literature lacks longitudinal research that controls for international changes in crime trends. In this study, we examine over 12 years of assault-related incidents in the state of Queensland, Australia. Controlling for deviations in trend for temperature and rainfall, we explore the relationship between violent crime and weather across Köppen climate classifications. Findings provide important insight into the impact of weather on violence across temperate, tropical, and arid climate regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Frontal Identification System (FIS), initially designed to track Galernas in the Bay of Biscay, has been adapted to monitor cold fronts across Australia using wind shifts derived from ERA5 hourly reanalysis data. This high-resolution system tracks shallow, cloud-free fronts during the warm season, which can trigger bushfires, dust storms, extreme heat, and coastal weather extremes like Southerly Busters (SB) on the east coast. SB episodes, marked by sudden, squally south winds, pose hazards for boating and aviation. Our analysis of 35 SB events from 1994 to 2020 indicates that SBs originate from frontogenesis in Bass Strait (40 %) or from prefrontal troughs crossing the strait (60 %). Preceding synoptic conditions involve a Southern Ocean cold front driving cool maritime winds into the Australian thermal low, creating shallow convergence fronts (∼1000 m deep) facing warm continental winds. Onshore acceleration into the thermal low sharpens these new fronts (Type 2 fronts of the southern coast) and weakens the trailing primary ocean front, which may disappear due to high-pressure wave propagation, cold advection, and subsidence over the sea. These fronts can penetrate deep inland (Central Australian fronts) and initiate SBs on the southeast coast after interacting with the Great Dividing Range. All 35 SB events show active shallow front frontogenesis/frontolysis affecting the southern coast and inland regions. Upper-level reversed pressure gradients between the thermal low over the continent and the ocean depression maintain a wind shear region over the shallow inland cold advection. Intense warm north-westerlies south of the surface front, with wind speeds of 35–50 m s−1 between 700 and 550 hPa, contribute to mesofront formation preceding SB episodes. This jet also sustains strong cross-mountain winds over the Great Dividing Range, causing the lee trough at the coastal strip that precedes all SB episodes on the eastern coast. Understanding these dynamics can help predict and manage these events more effectively. • Active shallow front frontogenesis/frontolysis detected during all SB episodes • A vast region of vertical wind shear unveiled in the middle-lower troposphere • The region holds a NW jet (35–50 m s−1) within the highest temperature gradients • Shown the thermal low role in shallow front and wind shear region formation • Initiation of Busters concurrent with highest wind shear location and NW jets [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is high confidence that climate change has increased the probability of concurrent temperature‐precipitation extremes, changed their spatial‐temporal variations and affected the relationships between drivers of such natural hazards. However, the extent of such changes has been less investigated in Australia. Daily data spanning the period 1889‐2019 (131 years) were extracted from SILO gridded dataset at 700 grid cells (1◦ × 1◦) across Australia to calculate annual and seasonal mean daily maximum temperature (MMT) and total precipitation (TPR). A nonparametric multivariate copula framework was adopted to estimate the return period of compound hot‐dry (CHD) events based on an 'And' hazard scenario (hotter than a threshold 'And' drier than a threshold). CHD extremes were defined as years with joint return periods of longer than 25 years calculated over the period 1889‐2019. Mann‐Kendall nonparametric tests were used to analyse trends in MMT and TPR as well as in the frequency of univariate and CHD extremes. Results showed a general cooling‐wetting trend over 1889‐1989. Significant increasing trends were detected over 1990‐2019 in the frequency and severity of hot extremes across the country while trends in dry extremes were mostly insignificant (and decreasing). A significant increase in the association between temperature and precipitation was identified at various temporal scales. While the frequency of CHD extremes was mostly stable over 1889‐1989, it significantly increased between 1990 and 2019 at 44% of studied grid cells, mostly located in the north, south‐east and southwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its promise of protection and peace of mind, insurance ownership is a key component of Australia's national strategy to manage and spread costs of disaster recovery. We argue that an arduous and confusing claims process can have profound impacts on policyholders' capacities to live safely in their homes as well as on their physical and mental health, finances, and levels of trust in insurers. Yet there has been little empirical research on policyholders' experiences of putting this promise to the test by claiming on policies in the wake of disaster. In this article, we analyse interviews with policyholders who faced problems when making a building or home contents insurance claim following bushfire, flood, or storm. Evidence shows that aspects of claims processes place significant demands on policyholders' financial and emotional resources, often in the aftermath of deeply traumatic and destabilising events. Our findings raise questions about the extent to which insurers' claims handling processes and outcomes are consistent with requirements that call on insurers to respond efficiently, professionally, practically, and compassionately when and after disaster strikes. This article outlines the findings of interviews with policyholders who faced problems when making a building or home contents insurance claim following a disaster or extreme weather event. Our findings shed light on aspects of the claims handling process that place significant demands on policyholders' financial, emotional and other resources. Our findings raise questions about the extent to which insurers' claims handling processes — and the outcomes they deliver for policyholders — are consistent with requirements calling on insurers to respond efficiently, professionally, practically and compassionately when disaster strikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia has no national approach to climate change education, neither for primary, secondary, or tertiary education nor for the informal and community adult education sectors. Inaction has its roots in Australian politics reluctant to engage with scientific evidence or community experience of extreme weather events and hamstrung by the political interference of carbon dealing mega-corporations cashing in on a profit-making bonanza. Adult educators have a substantial role to play in addressing the climate crisis and there is value in considering the international sphere for policy guidance. We conducted a descriptive, desktop content analysis of documents produced under the auspices of the United Nations from 2010 to 2022 searching for future-focussed statements on climate justice education policy. International frameworks and conventions hold concrete possibilities for imaging transformative practices. There are increasing levels of detail in frameworks supportive of climate change education internationally, and Australia is a signatory. Our work contributes towards the argument that Australia needs to develop national and state policy settings for climate justice education in line with United Nations settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has complicated the epidemiological pattern of mosquito-borne diseases, as the host and vector dynamics shift to adapt. However, little is known about the seroprevalence of common mosquito-borne virus infections in horses in Australia. In this study, serological surveys for multiple alphaviruses were performed on samples taken from 622 horses across two horse populations (racehorses and horses residing on The University of Queensland (UQ) campus) in Queensland using the gold standard virus neutralization test. As is the case in humans across Australia, Ross River virus (RRV) is the most common arbovirus infection in horses, followed by Barmah Forest virus, with an overall apparent seroprevalence of 48.6% (302/622) and 4.3% (26/607), respectively. Horses aged over 6 years old (OR 1.86, p = 0.01) and residing at UQ (OR 5.8, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with seroconversion to RRV. A significant medium correlation (r = 0.626, p < 0.001) between RRV and Getah virus (GETV) neutralizing antibody titers was identified. Collectively, these results advance the current epidemiological knowledge of arbovirus exposure in a susceptible host in Australia. The potential use of horses as sentinels for arbovirus monitoring should be considered. Furthermore, since GETV is currently exotic to Australia, antibodies cross-reactivity between RRV and GETV should be further investigated for cross-protection, which may also help to inform vaccine developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compound occurrence of extreme weather and/or climate events can cause stronger negative impacts than the individual events, and its frequency is increasing in several regions of the world. In this work, the effect of antecedent drought conditions on hot extremes during the months of December–February in Australia was analysed for two periods (1979–2019 and 1950–2019). The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and the indices number of hot days (NHD) and number of hot nights (NHN) were used to assess drought and extreme temperature events. While the link between dry and heat events is more important in the north in February, in December and January it is strong in the east coast. When temporal lags of 1–3 months are considered, there is a strong correlation between SPEI and NHD/NHN for the concurrent month on most of the study area. For the previous 1–3 months, the area and the correlation values decreased, but consistent spatial patterns were obtained for each month, namely negative correlations on the southwest and southeast in December, and the east in February. Tropical areas showed large areas of correlation between SPEI and NHN, including for the previous 3 months, whereas temperate climates showed the smaller area of correlation with NHN, including at the concurrent month. Significant correlations obtained for lead times longer than 1 month, namely with night heat extremes, point to a predictive ability in several regions of Australia. Moreover, the correlation coefficients obtained using the more recent period (1979–2019) show similar spatial patterns, but with higher values than for the 1950–2019 period. The results highlight the prospect of an early prediction of hot summer extremes in regions affected by drought in spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia experiences a variety of climate extremes that result in loss of life and economic and environmental damage. This paper provides a first evaluation of the performance of state-of-the-art Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) global climate models (GCMs) in simulating climate extremes over Australia. Here, we evaluate how well 37 individual CMIP6 GCMs simulate the spatiotemporal patterns of 12 climate extremes over Australia by comparing the GCMs against gridded observations (Australian Gridded Climate Dataset). This evaluation is crucial for informing, interpreting, and constructing multimodel ensemble future projections of climate extremes over Australia, climate-resilience planning, and GCM selection while conducting exercises like dynamical downscaling via GCMs. We find that temperature extremes (maximum-maximum temperature -TXx, number of summer days -SU, and number of days when maximum temperature is greater than 35 °C -Txge35) are reasonably well-simulated in comparison to precipitation extremes. However, GCMs tend to overestimate (underestimate) minimum (maximum) temperature extremes. GCMs also typically struggle to capture both extremely dry (consecutive dry days -CDD) and wet (99th percentile of precipitation -R99p) precipitation extremes, thus highlighting the underlying uncertainty of GCMs in capturing regional drought and flood conditions. Typically for both precipitation and temperature extremes, UKESM1-0-LL, FGOALS-g3, and GCMs from Met office Hadley Centre (HadGEM3-GC31-MM and HadGEM3-GC31-LL) and NOAA (GFDL-ESM4 and GFDL-CM4) consistently tend to show good performance. Our results also show that GCMs from the same modelling group and GCMs sharing key modelling components tend to have similar biases and thus are not highly independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters occasion ways of speaking and writing in the societies in which they take place. Now, due to climate change, events such as wildfires, floods and heatwaves are becoming more severe and more frequent. Therefore, the climate crisis poses a challenge, not only materially, but discursively. Habitual vocabulary may no longer be appropriate, and there is a pull between these turns of phrase and newer ones informed by climate change. The article takes the case of Australia whose public discourse in English about 'bushfires' has been characterized by traditional vocabulary, focused on battling the elements. Through three examples, the study treats tensions between the habitual and the climate-informed in event names (e.g. Black Summer), a social category (volunteer firefighters) and a construction of political critique (I don't hold a hose). The frame taken is semantically-enhanced discourse studies, inspired by natural semantic metalanguage (NSM) and other cultural takes. A transtextual approach is used, along with research from humanities and social science. The study finds that through the interplay between habitual and climate-informed vocabulary about 'bushfires', one can view conceptions of events, cultures, social relations, identities and relationships to places in Australia. Extreme weather formations and climate change formations cannot be easily separated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National weather forecasting agencies routinely issue a range of hazard warnings. But to our knowledge, along sandy coastlines where storm waves and storm surge can result in widespread but location-specific beach erosion and beachfront flooding, no national-scale early warning service for these hazards is presently operational. This paper outlines the scientific basis and implementation of a new framework for large area coastal storm hazards forecasting, currently being tested along the southwest (Indian Ocean) and southeast (Pacific Ocean) coasts of Australia. The system provides 7-day rolling predictions of localized beach erosion and/or coastal flooding linked to forecasted extreme weather events. Coastal setting influences the nature and occurrence of these hazards, with sandy beaches along wave-dominated coasts more prone to erosion and at surge-dominated coasts to flooding. An existing nearshore water-level forecasting system and a new inshore wave modeling capability are used to forecast beach erosion and coastal flooding at every 100 m along the shore. At the regional scale O(100–1 000 km of coastline), a threshold-based decision tree model categorises the predicted extent, location, and severity of erosion and flooding. At a more local scale O(100–1 000 m), physics-based modeling using XBeach focuses on vulnerable or high-value locations, providing specific storm hazard indicators tailored to local needs. This two-tier approach is feasible for national implementation due to the reduced computational effort, limiting intensive modeling to pre-identified critical locations. Delft-FEWS manages the data and modeling workflow, ensuring scalability and compatibility with existing forecast infrastructure. Initial evaluations of the system are promising, with a detailed 2-year evaluation in progress. Future enhancements could include the use of satellite imagery for real-time beach width and dune topography assimilation and exploring alternative modeling approaches to further improve forecast accuracy. • A framework for coastal storm hazards early warning over very large areas is developed. • The severity of hazards is predicted every 100 m alongshore by parametric modeling. • Site-specific storm hazard indicators at vulnerable sites are predicted by XBeach. • 7-day rolling forecasts of storm hazards are communicated via a web portal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power grid damage and blackouts are increasing with climate change. Load forecasting methods that integrate climate resilience are therefore essential to facilitate timely and accurate network reconfiguration during periods of extreme stress. Our paper proposes a generalised Wildfire Resilient Load Forecasting Model (WRLFM) to predict electricity load based on operational data of a Distribution Network (DN) in Australia during wildfire seasons in 2015–2020. We demonstrate that load forecasting during wildfire seasons is more challenging than during non-wildfire seasons, motivating an imperative need to improve forecast performance during wildfire seasons. To develop the robust WRLFM, comprehensive comparative analyses were conducted to determine proper Machine Learning (ML) forecast structures and methods for incorporating multiple factors. Bi-directional Gated Recurrent Unit (Bi-GRU) and Vision Transformer (ViT) were selected as they performed the best among all 13 recently trending ML methods. Multi-factors were incorporated to contribute to forecast performance, including input sequence structures, calendar information, flexible correlation-based temperature conditions, and categorical Fire Weather Index (FWI). High-resolution categorical FWI was used to build a forecasting model with climate resilience for the first time, significantly enhancing the average stability of forecast performances by 42%. A sensitivity analysis compared data set patterns and model performances during wildfire and non-wildfire seasons. The improvement rate of load forecasting performance during wildfire seasons was more than two times greater than in non-wildfire seasons. This indicates the significance and effectiveness of applying the WRLFM to improve forecast accuracy under extreme weather risks. Overall, the WRLFM reduces the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of the forecast by 14.37% and 20.86% for Bi-GRU and ViT-based models, respectively, achieving an average forecast MAPE of around 3%. • Novel climate-resilient load forecast model for use during extreme wildfire seasons. • Bi-GRU and ViT outperform 11 recently trending machine learning models. • Categorical FWI with high resolution enhances forecast stability by 42%. • Optimised calendar, temperature and FWI input reduce errors by 17.6%. • Forecast improvement during wildfires is twice that in non-wildfire seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is home to one of the highest rates of allergic rhinitis worldwide. Commonly known as 'hay fever', this chronic condition affects up to 30% of the population and is characterised by sensitisation to pollen and fungal spores. Exposure to these aeroallergens has been strongly associated with causing allergic reactions and worsening asthma symptoms. Over the last few decades, incidences of respiratory admissions have risen due to the increased atmospheric concentration of airborne allergens. The fragmentation and dispersion of these allergens is aided by environmental factors like rainfall, temperature and interactions with atmospheric aerosols. Extreme weather parameters, which continue to become more frequent due to the impacts of climate change, have greatly fluctuated allergen concentrations and led to epidemic thunderstorm asthma (ETSA) events that have left hundreds, if not thousands, struggling to breathe. While a link exists between airborne allergens, weather and respiratory admissions, the underlying factors that influence these epidemics remain unknown. It is important we understand the potential threat these events pose on our susceptible populations and ensure our health infrastructure is prepared for the next epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass mortalities in flying-foxes occur in summers that reach extremely hot temperatures. In this study, we examine the spatiotemporal distributions of mortality from pup abandonments and extreme heat events in Australian flying-fox camps during the 2019–20 summer. We recorded data on flying-fox mortality in known affected camps and applied a standard method to estimate the number of deaths. Pup mortalities from abandonments were recorded in 10 camps in New South Wales. A minimum estimate of 2612 flying-foxes died in pup abandonments, the majority of which occurred in one camp in Bomaderry. Die-offs from extreme heat events were recorded in 40 camps associated with eight separate heat events in south-eastern Australia. A minimum estimate of 72 175 flying-foxes died during these heat events, which all occurred within the range of the threatened grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus). Further, 409 and 2251 live flying-foxes were taken into care from pup abandonments and heat events respectively. The minimum mortality estimated represents the highest recorded mortality of Australian flying-foxes within a single summer. This highlights a need to restore vegetation in flying-fox foraging areas and camps, address anthropogenic climate change and gather more empirical data to inform heat stress interventions to minimise flying-fox mortalities. Mass mortality events have important implications for wildlife conservation management. We estimated that at least 74 787 flying-foxes were killed from pup abandonments and extreme heat events during the austral summer of 2019–20. This was potentially the largest flying-fox die-off recorded to date, highlighting an urgent need to address casual factors and enhance intervention management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term studies are required to reveal responses by long‐lived, top‐order predator populations to ongoing seasonal fluctuations. However, such investigations are rare in the Australian context. Between 2009 and 2019, the breeding density and productivity of an arid and a mesic wedge‐tailed eagle Aquila audax population, each occupying an area of 2800 km2, were compared (11–98 pairs monitored annually). Breeding pairs spaced themselves evenly in both study areas, with no significant difference between the average arid zone nearest‐neighbour distance of 5.32 ± 1.98 km (n = 44) and that determined for the mesic zone (4.88 ± 2.32 km, n = 54). This similarity in spacing suggests a maximum average density is tolerated by these territorial raptors. By contrast, annual breeding success (proportion of pairs fledging young) and productivity (fledged young per pair) differed significantly between the two populations, with rainfall (but not temperature) influencing reproduction. In the arid zone, the proportion of successful pairs per occupied breeding home range was consistently low each year (mean = 12 ± 7% fledged broods per pair, range 0–26%) and positively correlated with annual rainfall. In the mesic zone, it was consistently high each year (mean = 69 ± 9%, range 57–91%) and not significantly correlated with annual rainfall. Overall productivity figures showed similar differences, with 0.13 and 0.77 fledglings per pair per year for arid (n = 9 years) and mesic (n = 11 years) eagles, respectively. Such low arid zone productivity, the lowest ever recorded for the species, could have long‐term implications in the face of the increased frequency of extreme weather events. That breeding density can be independent of climatic factors provides new insight into the way a large Aquila species integrates with Australia's predominantly arid environment. This study provides an important baseline data set for continued research on long‐term occupancy and productivity trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In Australia, the proportion of forest area that burns in a typical fire season is less than for other vegetation types. However, the 2019–2020 austral spring-summer was an exception, with over four times the previous maximum area burnt in southeast Australian temperate forests. Temperate forest fires have extensive socio-economic, human health, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity impacts due to high fire intensities. A robust model that identifies driving factors of forest fires and relates impact thresholds to fire activity at regional scales would help land managers and fire-fighting agencies prepare for potentially hazardous fire in Australia. Here, we developed a machine-learning diagnostic model to quantify nonlinear relationships between monthly burnt area and biophysical factors in southeast Australian forests for 2001–2020 on a 0.25° grid based on several biophysical parameters, notably fire weather and vegetation productivity. Our model explained over 80% of the variation in the burnt area. We identified that burnt area dynamics in southeast Australian forest were primarily controlled by extreme fire weather, which mainly linked to fluctuations in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), with a relatively smaller contribution from the central Pacific El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Our fire diagnostic model and the non-linear relationships between burnt area and environmental covariates can provide useful guidance to decision-makers who manage preparations for an upcoming fire season, and model developers working on improved early warning systems for forest fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat 28 Smit B, Harding CT, Hockey PAR, McKechnie AE (2013) Adaptive thermoregulation during summer in two populations of an arid-zone passerine. Google Scholar OpenURL Placeholder Text WorldCat 22 Noakes MJ, Wolf BO, McKechnie AE (2016) Seasonal and geographical variation in heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity in a passerine bird. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 21 Noakes MJ, McKechnie AE (2019) Reaction norms for heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity do not vary across a climatic gradient in a passerine bird. [Extracted from the article]

Climate change and rising temperatures have led to an increase in extreme weather and climate reports at regional, hemispheric and international scales, especially in terms of heat. The worrying increase in the number of global climate-related disasters, such as widespread fires in Australia in 2019-2020, those in Greece in 2021, volcanic eruptions in 2021, earthquakes, landslides and floods, the three main greenhouse gases greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides - which reached a record level in 2020 and 2021, despite the reduction of human activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, draws attention to the effects that may influence the development of the planet. The paper aims to highlight how climate change affects sustainable development, adaptation and vulnerability of people, ecosystems, agriculture and cities in relation to environmental issues. The article presents economic impact considerations and possible ways to mitigate climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Symmetric Extremal Dependence Index was used to assess the skill of ACCESS-S2. • ACCESS-S2 has varying skills in predicting extreme weather events and wheat yield. • 68 % of cases showed yield gain in using ACCESS-S2 with an average gain of 13 %. • Benefits of using ACCESS-S2 were seen across both predicted wet and dry years. • Identified optimal management options varied from location to location. This study aims to investigate the benefits of using the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator-Seasonal Version 2 (ACCESS-S2), a state-of-the-art seasonal climate forecast (SCF) system, to improve contingent decision-making in the Australian wheat industry. Six locations in eastern Australia, three cultivars with varying maturities, and 17 times of sowing (TOS) were considered. Seasonal hindcasts from ACCESS-S2, initialized on the 1st May for the period 1981–2018 were linked with the Agricultural Production System sIMulator (APSIM)-Wheat model (v7.10) to (1) assess the hindcast skill of ACCESS-S2 in predicting the occurrence of extreme weather events and in predicting above/below long-term median wheat yield; (2) identify optimal management strategies in mitigating the impact of extreme weather events; and (3) quantify the yield benefit of using ACCESS-S2 at the key decision-making point of sowing against a baseline management situation (i.e., without the use of SCF). Research results showed that (1) ACCESS-S2 has varying skills in predicting extreme climate indices and wheat yield across the six locations at a seasonal lead time; (2) 68 % of cases had a yield gain using SCF information; (3) across all cases, there was an average yield gain of 281 kg/ha representing an increase of 13 %; (4) benefits of using SCF were seen across predicted wet years, neutral years and dry years accounting for 69 %, 65 % and 72 % respectively, and (5) the identified optimal management options varied from location to location with earlier sowing associated with either suntop or gregory or both being the optimal strategies at most of the locations considered. Overall, there is a demonstrated benefit in utilizing ACCESS-S2 forecasts in the Australian wheat industry to improve farm management decision-making. The benefit can occur in any climate state but with dry years being more likely and significant (with an average yield increase of 97 % across the locations). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical reductionist experimentation tends to conceptually compartmentalise mitigation and adaptation into binary categories, shielding insight into how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change interact. Here, our primary aim was to examine how a key tenant of the global climate crisis – drought – is likely to influence soil organic carbon (SOC). We deconstruct these paradigms using case study farms in Tasmania, Australia, using state of the art models to simulate pasture production and SOC under historical and 2050 climates, the latter encapsulating more frequent extreme weather events. We show that longitudinal changes in SOC stocks correlate positively with standard precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) via the mediating effects of seasonal pasture growth. Drought elicited notable SOC losses, particularly when antecedent SOC stocks were high, whereas high rainfall years amplified SOC sequestration. Renovating pastures with perennial legumes enhanced sequestration under 2050 climates, as did introducing irrigation and increasing soil fertility. In most cases however, the influence of aridity on SOC dominated over that of farm management, suggesting that climate change - and by extension, seasonal rainfall distribution - are likely to engender greater influence on SOC stocks compared with farm management or practice change. As such, aspirations to maintain SOC stocks at ceiling levels over the long-term are likely to be challenged by the changing climate and particularly drought. Even so, we contend that adoption of practices aimed at improving soil organic matter can benefit productivity through enhancement of soil fertility, water-holding capacity and health, and as such should be encouraged, particularly where status quo agro-ecosystems are degraded. • We explored how soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are influenced by drought. • High seasonal rainfall was conducive to improved SOC sequestration. • Drought elicited high SOC losses, particularly when antecedent SOC stocks were high. • Deep-rooted perennials, additional irrigation and fertiliser improved SOC accrual. • SOC accrual was greatest for zones with degradation and/or suboptimal productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather patterns can be linked to the effects of anthropogenic climate change with increasing confidence. Evidence from the USA suggests a weak relationship between individuals' experiences of many types of weather events and concern about climate change. Using data from Australia, we investigate the effects of experiences of increases in mean temperatures and drought on a range of measures related to individuals' beliefs in, and concerns about, climate change. Our results show no association between recent experiences of elevated temperature relative to long-term average and views about climate change, though some association between longer-term temperature experiences. We find some evidence that experiencing less rainfall relative to the historical average is related to stronger sentiment that climate change is happening and higher levels of concern. The results are consistent with previous research showing experiences of extreme weather events do not have a large effect on beliefs in, or concerns about, climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is at risk of extinction in the wild as a result of ongoing habitat loss due to clearing, and extreme weather events including fire. In 2022 the Australian government upgraded the conservation listing of the koala from Vulnerable to Endangered. In late 2019 and in 2020 Australia experienced widespread severe wildfires and many threatened species were adversely affected. A 230 hectare forested property with known koala habitat near Crows Nest, Queensland, Australia, was surveyed three months after a wildfire in November 2019, to assess impact, and then annually for three years to assess recovery. The most resilient tree species and forest types were identified to assess koala habitat robustness. Our fire severity scale classified impacts to forest types and tree species using trunk scorch height, crown scorching, crown loss, and tree mortality. Subsequent surveys classified recovery by assessing epicormic shooting, coppicing, seedlings, sapling regrowth, and tree survival. Fire promoted epicormic shooting along tree stems, but at extreme fire severity, coppicing from the base was the dominant response. Moderate and high fire severity was tolerated by most preferred koala tree species, but tree mortality increased significantly with extreme fire severity. The most fire-resilient of these koala habitat tree species was Eucalyptus eugenioides , which displayed significant epicormic shooting at moderately high, and high fire severities, and significant coppicing at high fire severities. The dominant forest type in the study area is characterised by this tree species, and so may be an important factor if selecting conservation areas in this region for koalas and other arboreal mammals. [Display omitted] The koala is Endangered and increasingly severe fire regimes threaten its habitat. Fire triggers epicormic shooting in eucalypts but high severity triggers coppicing. Some eucalypt species used by koalas recover from fire better than others. Koalas benefit if their preferred tree species are also fire-resilient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]