AI-powered satellites to search for Aussie bushfires
A satellite constellation powered by artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology will launch from next year, watching the world for small fires.
natural disasters
Be prepared: north told to brace for spring bushfires
After recent above-average temperatures, the national council for fire and emergency services is predicting a risky spring fire season in northern Australia.
Disaster insurance claims driven by Queensland events
Insurers paid out $2.2 billion in claims related to extreme weather events in 2023/24, in line with the previous year, new figures show.
One dead as Greek wildfire burns in Athens suburbs
A wildfire continues to burn in suburbs close to the centre of Athens as hundreds of people are forced to relocate.
How a mother’s death from tsunami birthed an activist
Listening to local elders after a tsunami in Samoa killed her mother, Steph Hodgins-May went from environmental lawyer to senator to fight for climate justice.
Readying refugees for when natural disasters strike
A Somali refugee in Townsville is leading the way in educating newly arrived groups about disaster resilience preparing for Queensland's summer cyclone season.
Climate catastrophe: mapping nation’s disaster hotspots
Former emergency services chiefs say it is time to pump serious money into disaster preparedness as a map reveals Australia's disaster hotspots.
Hundreds feared dead after Papua New Guinea landslide
Rescuers are searching for survivors after a landslide flattened a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea, with hundreds of people feared dead.
Search for hundreds feared dead in huge PNG landslide
Hundreds of people are feared dead after a landslide hit a remote village in northern Papua New Guinea, wiping out buildings and blocking the only road access.
Wombat burrows help other critters survive after fires
Camera traps have shown wombat burrows are hot property after bushfires, with animals using them for shelter and as drinking stations after rain.
‘Remarkable’ more did not die in Black Summer: coroner
The report of a two-year Black Summer coronial inquiry has made numerous recommendations but left some impacted residents feeling ignored.
Coroner heeds lessons from deadly Black Summer infernos
The report of a two-year Black Summer coronial inquiry has made numerous recommendations for improvement but left some impacted residents feeling ignored.
Missing family of seven found safe in remote WA
The group of seven family members that have been missing in the West Australian outback have been found by police, and are reported to be safe and well.
Battle rages on as fire destroys at least one home
Fire crews are set to fight a massive bushfire in western Victoria for days before another spike in severe conditions is forecast.
Fire rages as Vic braces for ‘worst day in four years’
A bushfire west of Ballarat is expected to burn for days if not weeks but firefighters are concerned about changing weather conditions on Wednesday.
‘Heartbreaking’ scenes as fire-hit communities rebuild
Residents in Victorian towns face a recovery that could last up to three years as locals return to survey the damage caused by bushfires to their properties.
Bushfire evacuees return to homes and businesses
Evacuees are starting to return to a town in Victoria's west where more than two dozen homes were lost to bushfires believed to have been sparked by lightning.
Fires kill 123 in Chile, toll expected to keep rising
At least 123 people have been killed by forest fires in central Chile, officials say.
‘Making money’: insurers scolded over flood payouts
Insurers have been accused of failing to protect and compensate Australians devastated by floods during a fiery parliamentary hearing.
Chile forest fires kill 99 as hundreds remain missing
Chile President Gabriel Boric says forest fires in the country's centre have killed at least 64 people.
Mosquitoes and mould pose risk in drenched Queensland
Mould and mosquitoes have been identified as greater risks in Queensland amid heavy rain and flooding in the aftermath of two cyclones.
Families ‘devastated’ by flood destruction
Major flooding has struck a region north of Brisbane for the second time in two years after rain lashed southeast Queensland, leaving families devastated.
Hardship grants offered as cyclone power outages remain
Thousands of customers remain without power in Queensland's north where hardship grants have been offered to residents hit by Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.
Frustrating wait continues for evacuated residents
People evacuated from a flood-hit far north Queensland community don't look like returning any time soon due to a damaged pump at a waste treatment plant.
No crystal ball for extreme weather events, boffins say
El Nino and other factors make extreme weather events more difficult to predict, say scholars following scrutiny in the wake of destructive floods and storms.
Great Barrier Reef sees ‘minor damage’ from cyclone
The Great Barrier Reef was largely unaffected by Cyclone Jasper but short and long-term threats to Australia's world famous natural wonder remain.
New resorts bounce back after Cyclone Jasper downturn
New and refurbished Queensland resorts had their grand openings planned for early December but then came the warnings about approaching tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Tourist numbers recovering after cyclone, operators say
Cyclone Jasper has deterred some people from visiting far north Queensland but the weather has cleared and tourists are returning.
Flood victims face another Christmas of uncertainty
NSW Northern Rivers communities devastated by flooding in 2022 say it could take a decade to recover after progress was hampered by a mismanaged buyback scheme.
Storms smash Sydney, with flooding rescues under way
Large parts of NSW are on alert for dangerous weather over the Christmas long weekend, as storm cells smash Sydney bringing hail, strong winds and downpours.
Falling branch kills man as Vic remains on flood alert
A man has died after being struck by a tree branch on his property in northern Victoria as the state is warned about flash flooding and severe storms.