Drought
UK wilts under brutal spring heat as records set to tumble
A “heat dome” is forecast to linger across parts of Europe as the prospects of an El Nino continue to firm.
- Caitlin Fitzsimmons and Nick O'Malley
Latest
A ‘globally catastrophic’ super El Nino could form by spring
An El Nino typically associated with a hot, dry spring for Australia is likely to form towards the end of winter – and one model rates the chances of a rare super El Nino at 20-25 per cent.
- Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Revealed: how the environment in your suburb is improving or declining
Nationally, Australia’s environment was better than the average of the past 25 years. Look up our interactive map to see how your suburb or local government area fared.
- Caitlin Fitzsimmons
End of the black roof? The overhaul coming to Sydney’s heat-trapping suburbs
Developers could soon be required to prove how new housing projects will withstand future climate risks as part of an overhaul of NSW planning laws.
- David Barwell
Fires and floods, fires and floods: Australia’s summer of extremes
Australia’s summer has been marked by repeated cycles of bushfires followed by floods, as Lake Eyre is set to be flooded for the second time in two years.
- Bianca Hall
- Behind the Photos
- Farming
When desperate farmers prayed for rain in the midst of a hidden drought
The Green family survived a major drought on their sheep farm. I got a front-row seat to the challenges they overcame.
- Benjamin Preiss
Antarctic phenomenon blamed for baking start to summer
A weather anomaly thousands of kilometres from Australia is having an outsized impact on summer – and the previous times it happened, it was followed by some of the nation’s worst bushfire seasons.
- Mike Foley
This drastic measure scares many gardeners. It will pay you back in spades
The slightly daggy cousin of flashier plants, the shrub is the staple of many gardens. A tough love approach to maintenance will see fortune favour the brave.
- Megan Backhouse
The grass is greener – but we’re not on the other side yet
Rain and soaring sheep prices are giving some farmers cause for cautious optimism after two dry years.
- Benjamin Preiss
Hate mowing the lawn? This water-wise alternative offers beauty without the brawn
A longstanding favourite among landscapers, this hard-wearing material is winning fans of wild gardening and informal planting alike. The secret? Sourcing it as locally as possible.
- Megan Backhouse