Sky News Weather – Severe Weather Outlook 2024 – 25 – Sky News Weather has released the fourteenth edition of its annual long-range Severe Weather Outlook for 2024-25. The severe weather season runs from October 2024 to April 2025.
The last severe weather season in Australia was marked with frequent, destructive storm outbreaks in the east and major flooding from long-lived tropical cyclones, whilst heatwaves impacted much of the country during the nation’s third warmest summer on record.
This upcoming season will be different for some, yet comparable for others as a possible La Niña and record ocean temperatures contribute to an increased risk of cyclones, storms and extreme heat in different parts of the country.
RENEWED CHANCE OF A LA NiÑA SUMMER AFTER A WILL-IT-WONT-IT SPRING
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a La Niña watch in May as ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific cooled rapidly following the decay of El Niño.
Over recent weeks, noticeable shifts in observations and forecasts have occurred – indicating that the fourth La Niña in five years has a renewed chance of developing. Oceans have cooled, and modelling indicates this is now more likely to continue.
An official La Niña event could be declared as early as November, but its influence is already starting to be felt across the Pacific Ocean and Australia.
Many Australians will remember the three La Niña consecutive events that affected the country from 2020 to 2023.
This event is developing later than usual. La Niña normally begins in Autumn and peaks during Winter and Spring, subsiding during Summer. La Niña is historically a rainmaker for much of Australia, with the strongest influence over the east and north during Winter and Spring. Summer events have a lesser influence on rainfall, but still broadly impact the same areas, particularly northern QLD.
Regardless of whether this becomes an official La Niña event or not, Australia should feel some influence from the Pacific that aids cloud and rainfall through large periods of the Severe Weather Season. Whilst no two La Niña’s are the same, our assessment is of a wetter than usual season broadly through northern and eastern regions of the nation.
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Sky News Weather – Severe Weather Outlook 2024 – 25
