CLEX researchers have developed Australia’s longest daily temperature record, identifying a decrease in cold extremes and an increase in heatwaves around Adelaide since 1838.
Using a simplified climate model, researchers forced the south polar winds to reverse arbitrarily and found that the final impact at the surface is indistinguishable from events where the winds reverse in response to natural phenomena.
Research from RP2, highlights how bushfires may change in the future, explores differences in heatwaves and shows how Antarctic conditions can affect Australia.
Extreme weather conditions and a changing climate are often recognised by their immediate effects. But as research coming out of the Heatwaves and Cold Air Outbreaks program has shown over the past four months, these events are often generated by distant influences and when they occur have further impact beyond their immediate vicinity.
This project will see the student utilising methods previously applied to the investigation of heatwaves to improve our understanding of cold-air outbreaks over Australia, attempting to answer questions on the structure, development and termination of these events.
The Heatwaves and Cold Outbreaks Research Program is in full swing, welcoming a new associate investigator in Debbie Hudson from the Bureau of Meteorology and pressing ahead with research across a range of areas.