Scientists have come up with a theory to explain the strange, extended seasons in Game of Thrones.

A man in his 60s has died after collapsing on the golf course in Sydney's south as NSW swelters through scorching conditions.

Temperatures will top 42 degrees in parts of the city today, with a total fire ban in place.

Wild winds, thunderstorms, heavy rain and giant hailstones could potentially lash the city on Tuesday afternoon during peak hour, with authorities concerned about the possibility of flash flooding.

Sydney will sweat through a scorching day on Wednesday, with parts of the city to exceed 40 degrees as firefighters warn of "very high" fire danger for the region.

Summer in Australia conjures images of long days lounging at the beach, slurping dripping icy-poles, and discovering spiders on the veranda. 

Government proposals for international carbon credit trading have buoyed manufacturing, but may have little impact on cutting energy sector emissions.

Sydneysiders may need to bring a brolly to their Christmas dinner, with clouds and some rain expected across the city late on Christmas Day.

The Berejiklian government proceeded to buy two blocks of land for koala habitat, overriding internal concerns the purchases were "not a priority" as protections were already in place.

At the peak of the ivory boom, in 2010-12, more than 30,000 elephants were slaughtered every year, research showed.

As summer holidays and the beach beckon, the perennial debate of sharks – and what if anything to do about them – inevitably surfaces.

The NSW Planning Assessment Commission has refused consent for a coal mine for Gloucester.

A chance of further storms across Sydney on Friday evening could provide brief respite on what is shaping up to be a humid day.

The first large heatwave of summer has prompted a fire weather warning and a public health alert with only modest relief forecast for the next few days before the heat starts to build again.

Glitter is not good for the environment, and some people are trying to ban it.

The first major heatwave of the summer will start to lap Sydney's suburbs on Wednesday and is unlikely to fully recede for another week.

Public health guidelines that recommend turning off fans when temperatures exceed 35 degrees are likely flawed and may unnecessarily expose vulnerable people to health effects during heatwaves, researchers at the University of Sydney say.

A dog walker has left a dog locked in a car for most of the day in Sydney's east, with the owner later finding her pet dead in the vehicle.

Energy giant says it will meet the baseload power shortfall through a new mix of gas and renewables while reducing carbon emissions by 17.6 per cent.

Queensland groups want North Stradbroke and Moreton islands to be World Heritage Listed to boost tourism, but it could delay another site's nomination.

The NSW and Queensland governments should phase out shark nets and immediately replace lethal drum lines with more-sophisticated gear to limit unnecessary harm to marine wildlife, a Senate inquiry has concluded.

​The first baby quokka to be born at the Australian Reptile Park has taken her first hops just in time for the Christmas school holidays.

Emmanuel Macron plans to award multi-year grants for several US-based scientists to relocate to France.

The first big heatwave of the summer will scorch inland Australia this week and reach the east coast by Thursday, sending the mercury and fire risks soaring.

With tourists comes trash.

The reversal of carbon captured under a controversial $2.5 billion fund set up by the Abbott-Turnbull government from bushfires is a "significant risk", among other challenges, according to a review by the Climate Change Authority.

Pigeons understood concepts of space and time long before the birth of Albert Einstein, scientists have shown.

The Great Barrier Reef will be dead by 2100, David Attenborough's Blue Planet II has declared.

Footage captured at the event shows the bull bucking frantically before its back leg snaps.