Get out the sunscreen: sunniest patch since 1990 points to warm start to summer for Sydney
Sydney has just capped its sunniest November for 26 years, with the relatively warm and dry conditions set to extend well into the start of summer.
Environment
No new funding or climate commitments in Great Barrier Reef update
An Australian government update on what it is doing to protect the wounded Great Barrier Reef includes no new funding and no new commitments to tackle the biggest threat to its health, climate change.
Aceh activists lose class action over Indonesia's Leuser rainforest
Activists warn the last place on Earth where elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses and orangutans coexist in the wild is in peril after a Jakarta court ruling.
Coal station closures inevitable, start planning: Labor and Greens
Many of Australia's coal-fired power stations will shut in coming years no matter what the government does, but a national plan will be needed to ensure the lights stay on and price rises are limited while they are replaced with cleaner models, Labor and the Greens say.
The Great Barrier Reef story Pauline Hanson didn't show
This is the disparity that explains why Pauline Hanson chose to snorkel where she did last week, while giving the Great Barrier Reef a clean bill of health.
Damage to Great Barrier Reef 'worse than thought'
The government agency responsible for the Great Barrier Reef says urgent action is needed to save the world heritage site after yet-to-be-published surveys found the record coral bleaching damage earlier this year was even worse than initially thought.
'Nowhere on earth safe' from climate change as survival challenge grows
People can fixate on polar bears and say "it's a pity but it doesn't affect me'. They're wrong, a conservation biologist says.
'Remarkable year': What's behind the record low sea ice in Antarctica
While odd things are happening at both ends of the globe, it's the South Pole that is harder to decipher.
Storms and scattered showers expected for the week
The first full week of summer is set to be a warm and sticky week for Sydneysiders, with scattered showers and storms expected throughout the week.
Volunteers shift tonnes of plastic in Qld
The organiser of an initiative which has cleared tonnes of plastic from in and around Queensland's Whitsunday Islands says she couldn't have done it without an army of volunteers.
Antibiotic-resistant genes found in Beijing smog sparks fear
Reports that Beijing's already notorious smog contained bacteria with antibiotic-resistant genes spread through the city last week like pathogens in a pandemic disaster movie.
How glow-in-the-dark geckos are shining a light on farm biodiversity
A lone tree in a paddock might seem like a paltry habitat for native animals but Canberra scientists have shown how critical they are using an unusual method.
ACT leaves Australia behind on climate change: report
State and city governments worldwide are leaving their federal counterparts behind on climate change.
'Everyone is under great threat': Is it time to set heatwave categories?
Heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than all other natural hazards combined so authorities should consider a cyclone-like rating system to help people prepare for hot spells, a risk researcher says.
Baby penguin found in inner-Sydney stormwater drain
Walking under a train overpass in Summer Hill, the last thing Josh Pirini and Scott Martin expected to find was a baby penguin.
Very high fire danger for Sydney as 'heatwave' strikes NSW
Sydney, the Illawarra and much of the state's north will have a very high fire danger on Friday, the Rural Fire Service has warned.
Halo summer! Ring round the sun is a solar sell of warmer days to come
As if to assure warmth-deprived Melburnians that it's still up there and on duty, the sun put on a spectacular sky show to mark the first day of summer on Thursday.
Live: Reports of hail as storms hit Brisbane
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of dangerous storms approaching Brisbane. We'll keep you up to date.
'Very dangerous' thunderstorms headed for Brisbane
A "very dangerous" thunderstorm is set to hit the Scenic Rim early this afternoon, with damaging winds and large hailstones forecast.
Platypus and echidna venom could inspire new diabetes medications
Venom from two iconic Australian species could be behind the development of new treatments for diabetes, which affects around 1.7 million Australians.
The four things that could kill you this summer
In the bush or at the beach, it's best to be prepared.
How bottom feeding helped Alfred prince of whales grow so big and blue
Scientists have found out how the blue whales rose to become the biggest beasts the Earth has seen – and it's all down to their teeth.
South-east Queenslanders urged to prepare for heatwave
Summer will begin with a heatwave.
A warm - and stormy - start to summer
Sydney is in for a dose of summer weather as the new season's tidings include a burst of thunderstorm activity.
How safeguarding pollinators will improve our well-being
A better understanding of what pollinators are and how they are inextricably linked to human well-being could be the catalyst needed to improve their conditions, a review has found.
Great Barrier Reef records worst coral bleaching: study
A new study has found higher water temperatures have ravaged the Great Barrier Reef, causing the worst coral bleaching ever recorded by scientists.
Thunderstorm coming, and more on the way
Severe thunderstorms are in prospect for each day until early next week for a wide swathe of the NSW coast.
Brothers plead guilty over theft of pygmy marmosets
The baby pygmy marmoset stolen from a Helensburgh wildlife park has been found, but Gomez and Sophia are still missing.
Two pygmy marmosets found, one still missing
The baby pygmy marmoset stolen from a Helensburgh wildlife park has been found, but Gomez and Sophia are still missing.
The one thing that could wipe 7.4pc off your home's value
Property values in Sydney could be affected if plastic pollution continues.
Melbourne weather: Get ready for a warm start to summer
After a string of below-average temperatures this week, Melbourne will turn on the heat to mark the first day of summer. But don’t get too excited; it won’t last long.
Pauline Hanson lands in hot water over Great Barrier Reef dive
Pauline Hanson is copping flak for taking her senators to a healthy part of the Great Barrier Reef in an effort to disprove claims the icon is dying.