2016 may break annual global heat records for third year in a row

Peter Hannam   The remarkable global heat for 2015 is not yet over and already forecasters are predicting next year will be hotter again - marking three years in a row of record annual warmth.

NSW mining, CSG proposals to face closer scrutiny of benefits

Peter Hannam   Companies lodging proposals for new mining and coal seam gas projects will have their claims of resulting benefits more closely examined following the release of new planning guidelines.ill

Sydney's Christmas Day looks good for barbies though beach may be cool

Peter Hannam   Sydney is in for a hot few days but the mercury should ease back to milder conditions on Christmas Day.

What it was really like inside the negotiating room at Paris climate conference

Peter Hannam   For negotiators engrossed in months or even years of arcane, technical wrangling for a new global climate agreement, the sudden involvement of political leaders in the talks in Paris was both a curiosity and a distraction.

Sydney weather: Bureau of Meteorology confirms Kurnell was hit by a tornado

The extreme thunderstorm that tore through Kurnell was consistent with being an mid-intensity tornado with wind gusts well above the previous strongest recorded four decades ago in NSW.

Premier Mike Baird surveys storm damage at Kurnell

Patrick Begley   Storms are fickle.

Sydney tornado: 'shards of glass become flying missiles ... the scariest of tornadoes'

Marcus Strom   Unless you've been inside a 200kmh blast of wind it's hard to imagine the tremendous natural force behind it.

An historic deal to tackle climate change

Tom Arup, Peter Hannam in Paris   Almost 200 countries have struck a grand bargain to take collective action on climate change, as the Paris summit delivers the first  global agreement to cut greenhouse gas pollution in almost two decades.

Analysis: Paris delivers. Can Turnbull?

Tom Arup   With the Paris summit wrapping up having delivered an historic global climate agreement, questions will inevitably turn to whether Malcolm Turnbull will use the international momentum to advance the climate debate back home

Analysis

Comment: Well done on the Paris deal, but the real test still to come

Peter Hannam   Is the Paris climate summit, as the French phrase goes, "the mountain that gives birth to the mouse"?

A quick guide to the Paris climate deal

Tom Arup   What you need to know about the Paris climate deal.

Warm weekend to make way for cool change by Christmas Day

Clare Colley   Canberrans can expect a cool change from Monday after a warm and windy weekend.

Climate research body fights for survival

Adam Morton   A leading think tank and lobby group on climate change is fighting for survival after the multi-million dollar support of its primary benefactor ran out.

RSPCA loses animal cruelty appeal

Matthew Raggatt   The RSPCA will continue to push for tougher sentences after losing appeal against woman's punishment.

Pets don't make a good Christmas surprise

Georgina Connery   Pets are not a good gift at Christmas unless the person knows about it.

Canada is selling its clean air to China

Ishaan Tharoor   The air in China's major cities is atrocious. Last month, the smog choking parts of the country was so thick that the situation got widely described as having reached "doomsday" levels.

Weekend heat will give way to cool Christmas Day

Megan Gorrey   Canberra is bracing for a hot, dry weekend but a cool change could bring light rain on Christmas Day.

10c for a bottle? NSW, have your say

Lucy Cormack   NSW is one step closer to implementing a container deposit scheme, a targeted approach to the 160 million beverage containers littered in communities across the state every year. 

And so, the heatwave begins

Marissa Calligeros   As of 9am on Friday, Melbourne was the hottest capital city in Australia. And that's not about to change.

Mount Clear bushfire burns towards urban areas

As temperatures climb, firefighters are attempting to extinguish a bushfire burning into its third day south of Canberra.

Tornado rips roof off desalination plant

Emma Partridge   Winds of up to 213km/h have plucked the roof off the largest building at Sydney's dormant desalination plant.

Asbestos fears limit access to Kurnell following devastating tornado

Ava Benny-Morrison   Media and some motorists have been blocked from entering the Sutherland Shire suburb of Kurnell, the scene of Wednesday's devastating tornado, amid asbestos fears.

Give up greenhouse gaseous meat? Lettuce rethink

Catherine Armitage   There may be good reasons to eat more leafy greens and less meat, but if you're doing it to help save the planet, you may be kidding yourself.

Calm conditions ahead as tornado clean-up continues in Kurnell

Megan Levy   Sydneysiders can expect much calmer weather conditions in coming days as the massive clean-up operation continues in the city's southern suburbs, which were battered by destructive winds of up to 213km/h on Wednesday.

Record winds rip through Sydney

Lucy Cormack, Lisa Visentin and Kieran Gair   Southern Sydney resembled a disaster zone on Wednesday after the most destructive winds recorded in NSW history lifted roofs off houses, brought down power lines and trees and left more than 20,000 homes and businesses without power.

Sydney storm formed over the ocean

Marcus Strom   The intense storm cell that snuck up on Sydney from the south was formed in favourable conditions in a low-pressure trough fed by warm, moist air from 

Sydney storm: what causes tornadoes

Marcus Strom   Tornadoes in Australia are relatively rare weather events but can cause havoc if they hit built up areas. The Bureau of Meteorology says there are about 10 to 20 sightings a year in populated areas with about 60 or so tornadoes forming a year. 

Sydney weather: tornado hits city

Kate Aubusson and Lucy Cormack   The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tornado warning for the Sydney area on Wednesday

Phase out coal to save reef, Queenslanders say

Amy Remeikis   Queenslanders believe coal mining should be phased out to save the Great Barrier Reef, with concern over the impact mining is having on one of the world's greatest natural icons.

Christmas tree-killing insect breaks Melbourne containment lines

Bridie Smith    Melburnians have been urged to check their Christmas trees for a white "marshmallow-like" residue on the trunk and branches after a contagious insect capable of killing pine trees jumped containment lines.

Commuters in for bad night as storm causes havoc

Melanie Kembrey, Kate Aubusson   Commuters are in for a rough night on the roads, with flooding, power failures, crashes and fallen trees causing havoc across Sydney.