Hailstorms, cyclones prompt multibillion-dollar claims
From hail damage on cars to rooves ripped off homes, severe weather events across Australia caused an eye-watering $3.5 billion in insured losses in 2025.
natural disasters
High alert as cyclone, heatwaves, fires loom large
Extreme weather is threatening to derail the long weekend, already disrupting holiday plans and major sports events.
Bushfires spark inquiry call as funding debate rages
Underfunding has been blamed for the scale of losses from ferocious bushfires but state authorities insist conditions made containment impossible.
PM pledges help for flooded graziers ‘doing it tough’
Anthony Albanese has boosted financial support for outback communities impacted by devastating floods as an ex-tropical cyclone threatens to return.
More saved than lost after firefighters battle blaze
Firefighters have been lauded after they helped wrangle a bushfire that tore through hundreds of hectares and destroyed three structures.
‘Sick of walking’: man rescued after 40km muddy trek
A pilot has spoken of his rescue of a man aged in his 40s who walked almost 40km in thick mud after his car became bogged in a flood-hit state.
Slow and soggy: life goes on in isolated flood-hit town
While travellers stranded by floodwaters begin fraying at the edges, locals have accepted uncertainty is a part of life in outback Queensland.
Double whammy deluge looms over disaster-hit regions
Communities already smashed by flooding are frantically trying to resupply ahead of more forecast heavy weather.
Bushfire menace mounts as thousands brace for disaster
Residents are being urged to flee their homes ahead of a catastrophic fire day expected to bring "unsurvivable" conditions not seen in six years.
Three people missing, homes razed as more fires ignite
Catastrophic bushfire conditions are worsening with fears damaging winds and lightning strikes will add to the dozens of destructive blazes raging in one state.
Thousands without power, roads cut as cyclone hits
Residents in Australia's far north are bracing for torrential rain and flooding as ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji continues its march across the state.
Cyclone leaves trail of damage as floods isolate towns
Residents of isolated communities might be cut off for months, with roads and water supplies damaged by heavy rain left behind by ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji.
Worst in 110 years: town turned into a ‘raging torrent’
An outback town is reeling from its wettest day on record following an ex-tropical cyclone as a drenched state braces for more flooding and livestock losses.
Aussies see fire and rain as extremes lash the nation
Fires are burning on one side of the country while the threat of floods on the other has led to calls for people to remain vigilant.
Officer hailed after braving croc-infested floodwaters
A police officer's courage has been hailed after a man drowned in his vehicle in a swollen river, with severe weather hammering opposite sides of the nation.
Firefighter dead as hot and dry weather spells danger
A veteran firefighter has been killed protecting homes as hot weather combined with moderate winds threatens to bring another day of elevated fire dangers.
Japan lifts tsunami warning after 7.5-magnitude quake
Japanese authorities are warning of the heightened possibility of mega-quake for a week after a powerful tremblor hit off the coast of the main Honshu island.
Indonesians hunt for food, water after deadly floods
Some residents of flood-hit Sumatra have resorted to stealing food and water to survive, Indonesian authorities say.
Fibre to the rescue: Aussies urged to take net upgrades
More than one million households have been disconnected by weather events this year and the NBN warns more will disproportionately affect copper connections.
Top Enders thanked for heeding cyclone advice
Top End residents want to clean up and get back to business as usual after enduring a noisy and worrying night as tropical cyclone Fina passed through.
COP30 talks open with a plea for countries to get along
UN climate negotiations have kicked off on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, with the top official calling on countries to stop bickering.
Dozens dead after Hurricane Melissa batters Caribbean
Hurricane Melissa has thrashed cities and isolated communities in the Caribbean, leaving dozens of people dead and a long recovery ahead in devastated areas.
Death toll climbs in Caribbean as hurricane moves north
At least 49 people are confirmed dead and tens of billions of dollars of damage remains after Hurricane Melissa wreaked havoc across the northern Caribbean.
Severe storms, Cup track risk as rain sweeps east
A rain band stretching from southern Australia to the top end is set to wash over eastern states, bringing severe storms and a soggy Melbourne Cup.
Weather bureau defends warning ahead of deadly flood
A senior meteorologist says the weather bureau's warnings were "clear and timely" before a flash flood that killed two people and led to more than 100 rescues.
Weather bureau warnings ‘inadequate’ before town razed
While the weather bureau was warning of a major flood in a rural town, emergency services feared it was going to be much worse, an inquest has been told.
‘Day from hell’: how family survived an inland tsunami
Locals from a rural village razed by a ferocious, swirling flash flood have told their miraculous tales of survival during an "absolute day from hell".
Philippines quake toll rises to 72, rescue continues
The death toll from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the central Philippines has risen to 72, the national disaster agency says.
Philippines ends quake rescues, focuses on displaced
Attention has now turned to helping survivors of a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake in the Philippines, after rescue efforts were called off.
Marine heatwave disaster warnings ignored for two years
The federal government ignored warnings of a marine heatwave and failed to commit funding to fight SA's devastating algal bloom, a senate inquiry has heard.
Nature delivers $510b bounty but needs more resources
Australia's environment is delivering much more than the government invests in it and contributes 20 per cent of the nation's economic output, a report finds.