News

  • Underwater coral reef scene featuring vibrant orange, pink, purple, and white corals with intricate textures, surrounded by various small fish including striped and solid-colored species. A larger bluish-pink fish swims near the center-right, with clear blue water and sandy ocean floor in the background

    Doldrum days: New study reveals calm seas are a driver of coral bleaching

    Becalmed in the doldrums. Have you ever heard that old nautical expression? It’s a throwback to the times of Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe.  Hundreds of years ago, the prolonged absence of wind in the tropical ocean could spell disaster for sailing ships and their crews, who rapidly ran out of drinking water as they

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  • People walk along a covered pedestrian bridge on a rainy day. Several individuals hold umbrellas and wear face masks, with wet tiles visible underfoot and blue support beams lining the walkway.

    UrbanTALES: The biggest urban climate simulation dataset ever released

    Understanding why air moves the way it does between buildings has long been one of urban climate science’s toughest challenges. Airflow in streets and between towers is shaped by a maze of real-world factors: building heights, street layouts, wind direction, and even the gaps between structures.  For decades, researchers could only study these effects using

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  • A turbulent Southern Ocean scene with large, churning waves and white spray under overcast grey skies, capturing the power and roughness of stormy conditions at sea.

    Southern Annular Mode in most positive state in 1,000 years, review finds

    A new scientific review has revealed that the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), the Southern Hemisphere’s most influential climate driver, is now in its most positive state in over 1,000 years. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, this positive state is projected to persist throughout the 21st Century, with long-term implications for Antarctica and the

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  • Five individuals sit beside a rectangular water basin, performing ablution by washing their faces and hands. They wear traditional attire and are positioned in a courtyard with Islamic architectural elements, suggesting the setting is a mosque or religious site. The scene captures a moment of spiritual preparation and communal observance.

    Deadly, record-breaking heatwaves locked in for 1,000 years, even under net zero pathways

    We must prepare for a future of frequent, deadly heatwaves, which will worsen in severity the longer it takes to reach net zero, new research has shown. Researchers working at the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO used climate modelling and supercomputers to learn how heatwaves will

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  • Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick receives Scientist Communicator of the Year Award

    21st Century Weather’s Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick has been named the Scientist Communicator of the Year for 2025. Awarded by Australian Science Communicators (ASC), it recognises a researcher who communicates their work, or the work of their field, to audiences with clarity and excellence. In particular, the quality of the scientist’s science communication expertise is recognised by

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