Climate change is hitting Australia hard. Record-breaking heatwaves, droughts and wildfires have scorched much of the south, while northern regions have faced severe cyclones and torrential downpours. The big concern is how much warmer Australia’s weather is getting: 2005 was the hottest year on record, and last year was not far behind. Temperatures have risen by about 1C (1.8F) since the 1950s, faster than the global average. Many regions are withering under an unprecedented drought that has lasted up to ten years. The outlook looks grim, with Victoria heading for its driest April yet and little sign of rain for the rest of this month and possibly even up to June. Even an average winter’s rainfall would not restore water reserves. But Australia’s climate has long teetered on a knife-edge. Its huge expanse of desert and scrubland, erratic rains, and population squeezed into relatively narrow coastal strips make it highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Being a huge island also makes it very sensitive to the surrounding oceans, and especially to bouts of the El Niño pattern in the Pacific that usually deliver punishing droughts to the east. Related Links * Australia’s […]