Environment
Weather
Temperatures to soar in Sydney on Friday, prompting total fire ban
The large pool of heat that have been baking inland Australia will reach the east coast, pushing the mercury towards the 40-degree mark and prompting authorities to declare total fire bans for Sydney, the Illawarra and the Hunter.
- by Peter Hannam
Latest
Extreme weather
'Bit of a shock': Coming heat to dry off much of October's wet spell
Sydney's wettest October in nine years helped ease fire conditions for a time but the coming surge in heat will sap much of those gains in vegetation moisture, the Rural Fire Service and meteorologists say.
- by Peter Hannam
Exclusive
Foreign aid
Two billion people hit by natural disasters in the past decade: Red Cross
Australia is in the world’s most disaster-prone region.
- by Matt Wade
Water
Rain, desalination repairs ease threat of water restrictions
The risk of restrictions on water use have abated for now after a wetter-than-usual October and the completion of repair work on the city's tornado-hit desalination plant.
- by Peter Hannam
Extreme weather
Weather bureau chief rejects job cut reports as 'false'
The head of the Bureau of Meteorology has rejected reports of looming job cuts for meteorologists as services become more centralised in Melbourne and Brisbane.
- by Peter Hannam
Weather
Sydney set to dry out, after doubling the average monthly rainfall
After weeks of on-again, off-again rain, Sydneysiders can look forward to a few days of sun - but it's not quite time to put the umbrellas away yet.
- by Sarah Muller
Extreme weather
Burst of humidity as Sydney shifts from winter to summer 'in a hurry'
If spring cleaning has lately given way to mould busting in your house, you're not alone.
- by Peter Hannam
Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc across NSW
A huge system of thunderstorms is rolling thick and fast across NSW, sparking severe weather warnings for most of the state and descending the skies into near-absolute darkness.
- by Cassandra Morgan
Extreme weather
'Bought us time': Welcome rains but 'green drought' far from broken
Much-needed rains will sweep across NSW this weekend but farmers warn that significant falls are still needed before the state-wide drought can be declared over.
- by Peter Hannam
Extreme weather
'Might be nasty': Sydney, much of NSW, likely to cop weekend storms
Enjoy Friday's lull in Sydney from the gloomy weather because a weekend of more rain and storms - possibly severe - is on the way.
- by Peter Hannam
Drought
Queensland's week-long rain spell has failed to break the drought
Good soaking rain east of the Great Dividing Range has not impacted drought-declared properties west of Chinchilla, however Charleville could receive a big thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon.
- by Tony Moore