State of the Climate
The State of the Climate series is a biennial joint publication between Australia’s two leading climate science agencies — CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.
The series draws on the latest climate research, encompassing observations, analyses and projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia’s climate. 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.