State of the Climate 2022 report highlights Australia’s worsening weather events

The State of the Climate 2022 report released by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology highlights Australia’s worsening weather events and the importance of disaster resilience.

Released every two years, the report draws on the latest climate research to describe current and projected changes in Australia’s climate.

The 2022 report highlights a number of increasing trends, including rising temperatures and an increase in extreme heat events, which will see longer and more dangerous fire seasons in the years to come.

The report also observes a historical decrease in rainfall in south-west and south-east of Australia during cooler seasons, and an increase in rainfall across most of northern Australia.

However, it also states that heavy rainfall events lasting for shorter durations are increasing and are likely to become more intense.

As the climate continues to warm, the atmosphere is able to hold more water vapor than in cooler air, which can cause increased heavy rainfall events, even in areas where rainfall is expected to decrease.

The report was launched by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek last week, who slated its findings as reinforcing the “urgent need for climate action”.

To read the full State of the Climate 2022 report, click here.