A man has been struck by lighting, several homes damaged and transport services overwhelmed during a severe thunderstorm that passed over Sydney early Monday evening.

Brisbane City Council's storm early warning system mistakenly sent wrong texts to subscribers last month telling them their homes would be flooded.

Green Army's demobilisation is just the latest retreat since 2013, ACF says.

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.

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.

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.

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.

State and city governments worldwide are leaving their federal counterparts behind on climate change.

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.

Walking under a train overpass in Summer Hill, the last thing Josh Pirini and Scott Martin expected to find was a baby penguin. 

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.

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

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of dangerous storms approaching Brisbane. We'll keep you up to date.

A "very dangerous" thunderstorm is set to hit the Scenic Rim early this afternoon, with damaging winds and large hailstones forecast.

Venom from two iconic Australian species could be behind the development of new treatments for diabetes, which affects around 1.7 million Australians.

In the bush or at the beach, it's best to be prepared.

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.

Summer will begin with a heatwave.

Sydney is in for a dose of summer weather as the new season's tidings include a burst of thunderstorm activity.

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.

A new study has found higher water temperatures have ravaged the Great Barrier Reef, causing the worst coral bleaching ever recorded by scientists.

• ANALYSIS

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.

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.

Severe thunderstorms are in prospect for each day until early next week for a wide swathe of the NSW coast.

• UPDATED

The baby pygmy marmoset stolen from a Helensburgh wildlife park has been found, but Gomez and Sophia are still missing.

• UPDATED

The baby pygmy marmoset stolen from a Helensburgh wildlife park has been found, but Gomez and Sophia are still missing.

Property values in Sydney could be affected if plastic pollution continues.