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WATCH: What's the state of Australia's climate?

Get the facts in this overview video with key takeaways from the State of the Climate 2022 report.

Co-developed with the Bureau of Meteorology, this seventh, biennial report draws on the latest climate monitoring, science and projection information.

The 2022 report is a synthesis of our current understanding of climate in Australia and includes new information about Australia's climate of the past, present and future.

[Music plays and an image appears of a dry landscape, and then the image changes to show clouds scudding across the sky, and text appears: State of the Climate 2022]

Narrator: Our climate plays a significant role in our everyday lives.

[Images move through of a view looking down on a sandy landscape, an ocean landscape with rocks jutting up in the ocean, and then a drying dam]

So, let’s look at the changes in our climate over the last two years.

[Image changes to show a thermometer on the left, and a line graph on the right showing the sea and air surface temperature between 1910 and 2020, and text appears: The warming trend is continuing]

The warming trend outlined in previous State of the Climate reports is continuing.

[Images move through of fluffy white clouds in the sky, and then a line graph showing the build-up of carbon dioxide over the years, and text appears: Global CO2 build-up has increased since the 1980s]

The rate of global carbon dioxide build up has increased with every passing decade since the 1980s.

[Images move through of a sun setting, and then a thermometer on the left and a line graph on the right showing numbers of extreme warm days between 1910 and 2020, and text appears: There is an increase in extreme heat events]

Australia’s climate continues to warm leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.

[Images move through of a view showing bushfire smoke moving up into the sky, and then a flame appears on the left of a map showing the change in the number of dangerous fire weather days, and text appears: There has been increased extreme fire weather and longer fire seasons]

There has been an increase in the number of extreme fire weather days and longer fire seasons across the country since the 1950s, especially in southern Australia.

[Image changes to show swirling floodwaters, and text appears: 2021-2022 is one of eastern Australia’s most significant flood periods ever observed]

2021 to 2022 is one of eastern Australia’s most significant flood periods ever observed.

[Images move through of a grey, stormy sky, and then a raincloud symbol on the left of a map of Australia showing rainfall decile ranges from April to October, and text appears: Rainfall has declined in parts of southern Australia]

Despite wet conditions in the last two years, rainfall between April and October has declined across parts of southern Australia

[Image shows the map changing to show the increase of rainfall in the northern regions and text appears: While in northern parts of Australia, rainfall has increased during the wet season]

While in northern parts of Australia, rainfall has increased during the northern wet season.

[Images move through of palm trees blowing in the wind, and then a symbol of wind appears on the left of a satellite image of swirling cyclones moving over the coast of Australia, and text appears: There have been fewer tropical cyclones observed in the Australian region since 1982, Future tropical cyclones are likely to be of higher intensity]

There have been fewer tropical cyclones observed in the Australian region since 1982.

[Image changes to show clouds above a body of water, and then the image changes to show a thermometer on the left of a map of Australia showing the trend in sea surface temperature, and text appears: Increased greenhouse gases have caused hotter and more acidic oceans]

But, the ones we will see in the future are likely to be of higher intensity. Increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have caused our oceans to heat up and become more acidic.

[Images move through of fish swimming over coral, and then a view looking down on the sea, and text appears: We are seeing more frequent marine heatwaves and rising sea levels]

This warming has led to more frequent marine heat waves and rising sea levels.

[Image changes to show a ruler measuring waves symbol on the left of a line graph showing the rise in sea level from 1880 to 2020, and text appears: These sea level rises are in line with global trends]

Overall, sea levels are rising in line with global trends.

[Images move through to show a view looking down on sheep moving through a paddock, and then a view looking down on a river, and text appears: In the coming decades our climate will continue to change]

In the coming decades, Australia’s climate is expected to experience ongoing changes.

[Images move through showing a view looking down on green farmland, and then an aerial view looking down on waves breaking on the shore, and text appears: Reducing global emissions will lessen these impacts]

Reducing global emissions will lessen these impacts.

[Image changes to show a tree silhouetted against a sunset, and the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology logos and text appears: State of the Climate 2022, bom.gov.au, csiro.au]

To understand more about the State of the Climate and read the full report visit our websites.

Our climate is changing. So what does this mean for Australia’s future?

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Australia is experiencing climate change

Australia's changing climate

  • Australia has warmed, on average, by 1.47 ± 0.24 °C since national records began in 1910.
  • There has been an increase in extreme heat events associated with the warming.
  • There has been a decline of around 15 per cent in April to October rainfall in the south-west of Australia since 1970. Across the same region, May to July rainfall has seen the largest decrease, of around 19 per cent since 1970.
  • In the south-east of Australia, there has been a decrease of around 10 per cent in April to October rainfall since
    the late 1990s.
  • Rainfall has increased across most of northern Australia since the 1970s. 

Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise

Greenhouse gases

  • Global average concentrations of all major long-lived greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere, driving further climate change.
  • The rate of CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere has increased every decade since atmospheric measurements began.
  • Global average annual mean CO2 concentration reached 414.4 ppm in 2021. Adding all greenhouse gases together, concentrations reached 516 ppm of CO2-e.
  • Over the past two years, the amounts of atmospheric methane and nitrous oxide have grown very rapidly.

Our oceans are changing

Oceans and cryosphere

  • Sea surface temperatures around Australia have warmed by over 1 °C since 1900.
  • The world’s oceans have taken up 91 per cent of the extra energy stored by the planet as a result of enhanced greenhouse gas concentrations.
  • Global mean sea level has risen by around 25 cm since 1880; half of this rise has occurred since 1970.
  • The acidification of the oceans around Australia continues (pH is decreasing), with changes happening faster in recent decades.

Australia will experience ongoing future climate changes

Future climate

In coming decades, Australia is projected to experience:

  • Continued warming, with more extremely hot days and fewer extremely cool days.
  • A further decrease in cool season rainfall across many regions of the south and east.
  • Continued drying in the south-west of Western Australia, especially during winter and spring.
  • Longer periods of drought on average in the south and east. 
  • A longer fire season for the south and east, and an increase in the number of dangerous fire weather days.

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