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Outages also affecting phone networks and water supplies for about 10,000 Queensland households, premier says, as restoration efforts continueGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThousands of Townsville residents are still without power as northern Queensland begins to clean up after ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.Damaging winds and rainfall totals from 100-150mm hit regions on Thursday evening but minimal property damage...

Cyclone downgraded after dense fog hits parts of the US and India while drought affects Philippines and southern AfricaTropical Cyclone Kirrily made landfall on the coast of Queensland on Thursday night (local time). Kirrily originated as a tropical low over the Coral Sea, and gradually intensified over several days. The tropical cyclone then quickly intensified on Thursday, reaching a category 2 system by 10am...

Premier Steven Miles says ‘we’re not out of the woods’ with BoM weather warnings issued as former category three cyclone downgradedFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe cleanup from ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily has begun in north Queensland after the weather system was downgraded to a tropical low.Damaging winds and...

Kirrily upgraded to category-three storm by BoM and predicted to reach land between Ingham and Bowen on Thursday nightTropical Cyclone Kirrily live update: Qld weather warnings as category three storm tracks toward coastCheck the path of the storm towards Townsville with the BoM radar and forecast tracker map.Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastTropical Cyclone Kirrily has been...

Fast-growing monocultures are less able to withstand extreme weather events than varied woodlands, researchers findAs 90mph winds whip across the UK and Europe this week, new research shows forests containing diverse tree species are more likely to stay standing than monocultures when hit by extreme weather.Forests with two or three tree species are on average 35% more resilient to storms than forests with only...

Cold snap continues from south to Pacific north-west, with thaw not expected until next weekThe deep freeze affecting millions of people across the US is continuing this weekend, as bitterly frigid air spilled into the midwest from Canada amid high winds that could make it feel like -30F (-34C) outside in some areas.The list of severe weather events was growing as the US struggled...

Damaging weather and heavy rain pummels Darwin as BoM forecasts another cyclone could cross Queensland’s east coast from TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastQueensland residents face the threat of another cyclone reaching their shores within days as intense rain continues across Australia’s north.A tropical low building in the Coral...

Drought in Hwange national park was the cause of most of the deaths, and wildlife experts fear the climate crisis could make such events look normalAt least 160 elephants have died as drought conditions hit Zimbabwe, and with hot, dry weather likely to continue, conservationists fear there could be more deaths to come.The elephants died between August and December last year in the 14,651...

Fire breaks out at RAAF base as firefighters battle four significant blazes in the Wanneroo and Chittering areasGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA potentially dangerous fire has broken out at an RAAF base as soaring temperatures and windy conditions cause havoc for firefighters north of Perth.The blaze broke out on Saturday afternoon near the entrance to RAAF...

Extreme cold warning issued in Canada as US forecasters warn of wind chills in Texas and major snow in midwest and east coastA “bitter” blast of cold Arctic air is set to bring dangerously frigid temperatures to swaths of North America, forecasters have warned.In Canada, frigid Arctic air is being pushed from the Northwest Territories down into the province of Alberta, where Environment Canada...

Environment agency says ‘significant surface water and river flooding impacts are possible’ on FridayIn Gloucestershire, police warned of road closures due to rising water levels around Tewkesbury.An evacuation centre was set up in the nearby village Walton Cardiff while people living on Alney Island, between two branches of the River Severn, in nearby Gloucester were urged to leave their homes overnight for a nearby...

Warning of ‘significant’ impact of surface water and river flooding across England, as showers forecast for FridayUK floods – live updatesHundreds of flood warnings are in place after widespread heavy rainfall across the UK.Homes across the Midlands were inundated on Thursday while parts of southern England including Gloucestershire were also submerged. On Friday morning, 302 flood warnings were in place in England, as well...

Qantas and Jetstar to offer special airfares, with accommodation deals to come, as Queensland premier insists region is ‘open for business’ after Cyclone JasperImages of Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s devastating impact on far north Queensland may have driven away tourists during peak season.But the Queensland premier, Steven Miles, insists the region is “open for business”, making a $5m pitch to lure visitors back. Continue reading...