Tropical Cyclone Mitchell crossed the Western Australian coast near Shark Bay overnight on February 9, 2026, after weakening below tropical cyclone strength, bringing damaging winds, power outages, and flooding to coastal and inland regions.
A fast-moving dust storm affected outback communities in New South Wales on January 31, 2026, resulting in hazardous driving conditions and widespread dust deposition. Meteorologists from the Bureau of Meteorology reported the system formed as dry topsoil was lifted by intense westerly gusts exceeding 70 km/h (45 mph).
Temperatures across southeastern Australia reached record levels on January 27, 2026, with the Bureau of Meteorology confirming a new all-time high of 48.9°C (120°F) at Walpeup and Hopetoun in Victoria. The readings surpassed the previous state record of 48.8°C (119.8°F) set in 2009, amid severe to extreme heatwave conditions extending across Victoria, South Australia, and inland New South Wales.
A large out-of-control bushfire burning near Carlisle River and Gellibrand in Victoria’s Otways region has forced authorities to issue evacuation warnings for more than 1 100 properties. The fire, which started west of Gellibrand on January 10, has burned approximately 9 400 ha (23 200 acres) of forest and farmland by Monday afternoon (LT) January 26, 2026. Emergency Victoria urged residents and visitors in affected towns to leave before sunset due to forecast catastrophic fire conditions expected on January 27.
Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms swept across New South Wales and southeast Queensland between Saturday and Monday, January 17 and 19, 2026, forcing evacuations around Sydney’s Narrabeen Lagoon and causing one death at Macquarie Pass. The storm system brought flash flooding, landslides, and dozens of rescues as the NSW State Emergency Service continued operations across inundated coastal suburbs.
Tropical Cyclone Koji brought torrential rainfall and widespread flooding to north and central Queensland on January 12, 2026, following its landfall near Ayr and Bowen a day before. Major flood warnings are in effect for multiple river systems, with rainfall totals of up to 600 mm (24 inches) in some areas, while thousands of customers remain without power. Emergency crews have conducted rescues and evacuations as the system moves inland, continuing to produce heavy rain and thunderstorms.
A fast-moving bushfire crisis has prompted the Victorian Government to declare a State of Disaster for the first time since 2020, on January 10, 2026, with over 300 000 ha (741 000 acres) being scorched across the state under extreme heat and high winds. At least 130 structures have been destroyed, and thousands remain under evacuation orders, with conditions forecast to remain dangerous in the coming days.
Australia is enduring one of its most intense heatwaves since the 2019–20 Black Summer, with extreme temperatures, strong winds and dry lightning fuelling catastrophic fire danger across multiple states. Emergency-level bushfires have been reported in South Australia and Victoria, while BOM forecasts indicate the threat will intensify through Friday, before cooler air reaches southern regions at the weekend.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Hayley is forecast to make landfall over the northern Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia, late on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, as a Category 3 system. The cyclone is expected to bring destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and flash flooding across parts of the west Kimberley coast.
A 59-year-old firefighter from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service died late Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Nerong, Bulahdelah after being struck by a falling tree while working on a wildfire burning across the state’s Mid North Coast.
