 Photo credit: Simona Granati/Getty Images
The rise of climate change is known to have negative impacts on the planet’s biodiversity, and as of late, severe weather events have struck Australia. With the severe drought that brought in massive bushfires onto the states of Victoria and New South Wales which burned more than 11 million hectares of land, followed by 391.6mm of rain falling within four days that later caused flash floods in Sydney, there is no doubt that the global warming crisis is a cause for concern. However, the impacts of this crisis may take a step further to affect the mental health of people all around the globe. Such a reaction is termed “eco-anxiety”. A study in the UK has found that people are 50% more likely to be prone to climate anxiety - and its side effects such as depression and stress - if exposed first-hand to extreme weather events caused by climate change. Dr Patrick Kennedy Williams, a clinical psychologist who has treated patients with common mental health issues, was reached out by fellow climate researchers for help. Within the research, the clinical psychologist was shocked to discover that young children were induced with high levels of eco-anxiety, and parents have begun to grow wary of their children’s mental wellbeing. “What I was most surprised by is how young the awareness and anxiety starts. My own daughter was just six when she came to me and said: ‘Daddy, are we winning the war against climate change?’ and I was just flummoxed by that question in the moment,” Kennedy-Williams told The Guardian. Williams argued that it is impossible to hide reality from the eyes of the youth, and “realised [that] the cure to climate anxiety is the same as the cure for climate change – action. It is about getting out and doing something that helps.” Fortunately, a member of the Association of Clinical Psychologists UK, Professor Mike Wang, has come forward to address the issue of eco-anxiety. “Psychologists are ready and willing to help countries protect the health and wellbeing of their citizens given the inevitable social and psychological consequences of climate change,” declared Professor Mike Wang. Furthermore, the psychologist’s initiative to eliminate eco-anxiety has opened the eyes of experts all over the world, leading to collaborations and high research developments that aim to reduce the growing cases of eco-anxiety and treat those who suffer from it. To learn more about the effects of climate change across Australia, be sure to click https://www.globalweatherclimatecenter.com/australia-weather-climate-the-south-pacific-weather-climate-topics Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-51439175 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/10/overwhelming-and-terrifying-impact-of-climate-crisis-on-mental-health ©2020 Weather Forecaster Caitlyn Rusli
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 DISCUSSION: Soil moisture helps soil grains stick together. This moisture is obviously good for plant life, whose roots also help hold the soil in place. However, during extended dry periods (i.e., drought), vegetation deteriorates and soil is stuck together less, making it a lot easier for the wind to pick up the top layer of soil and generate dust storms. Currently, Australia is experiencing an especially intense, prolonged drought, especially in the state of New South Whales (the most populous state in Australia). This drought has led to crop failures and issues with water availability. The satellite image above shows an example of another impact of the drought, massive dust storms. Low pressure systems and their attendant fronts can be associated with high winds. Sometimes these systems can bring beneficial rains, but during droughts there is less moisture which can result in little or no precipitation. This combination of high winds without any attendant rain during drought conditions allows the winds to pick up copious amounts of dust. The north-south running cloud band in the image above is likely evidence of a front, and the dust around that cloud band is the result of the strong winds ahead of that front. Dust storms can have a number of dangerous impacts including hazards to aircraft, clogging the air filters of cars, and reduced visibility. In addition, the dust can cause breathing problems, especially for those with asthma, emphysema, and other pre-existing breathing issues. The best way to mitigate these impacts of dust outbreaks is to minimize travel and going outdoors as much as possible until the dust clears.
To learn more about weather/climate topics relevant to Australia and the South Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Dr. Ken Leppert II DISCUSSION: Severe thunderstorms developed in portions of Australia the 17th and 18th of November. For eastern Australia this is quite common in late Spring. The image above shows the visible satellite during the late afternoon hours on the 17th. Cloud top temperatures are on the next image in the slideshow which represents the vertical growth, essentially the measure of the relative strength of the updrafts in these storms.  Let’s look at the setup that produced these thunderstorms. Shown above is the forecast surface map from the GFS (credit to Tropical Tidbits) around the time of thunderstorm development shown on the previous satellite images. The surface setup shows a few surface low pressure systems in northern Australia with a surface pressure trough extending inland of the coast in Eastern Australia. This provided the trigger for upward vertical motion and with moisture and instability in place (see the soundings below) diurnal thunderstorms developed in portions of northeastern inland through the eastern coastal locations of Australia, some being severe.  Radar image of developing thunderstorms along the coast near Brisbane and the surrounding region at 0718Z. The forecast soundings above from the GFS display the instability (CAPE), moisture (dew point and PWAT), and vertical motion (negative Omega values on the left-hand side) present around the time of thunderstorm development from 00Z to 06Z on the 17th.  The above image is from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology site. Notice the severe thunderstorm warning in yellow issued at 5:46pm AEDT for large hail, heavy rain, and damaging winds. In fact, reports in portions of eastern Australia showed golf ball ~1.75 in/4.5 cm up to 2 in/5 cm hail in diameter. If you want to see more severe weather around the world, make sure to stay tuned to GWCC and specifically for Australian severe weather click here! ©2018 Meteorologist Joe DeLizio  DISCUSSION: The Koppen climate classification divides Earth's climate into five main categories (i.e., tropical, dry, mild mid-latitude, severe mid-latitude, and polar) and many subtypes. This classification is important because it gives you some idea of what type of weather to expect if you plan to visit or move to a certain place. In addition, the classification can be used to assess how the climate is changing over time.
There is currently some debate as to how to properly classify the climate in southern Australia, specifically, near Adelaide, as described in this ABC News story. Currently, Adelaide is classified as a Mediterranean climate type, a sub-category of the mild mid-latitude category. This climate type is characterized by hot, dry summers as the subtropical highs typically found near 30 degrees north and south move poleward. Winters are cool and wet as mid-latitude cyclones pass over the area and the subtropical high retreats toward the equator. During the winter, Mediterranean climates typically have relatively light rain distributed over a large number of days. However, the rain during the winter in Adelaide tends to fall in heavy, short bursts which is more like the rainfall that falls in a monsoon-type climate. Typical monsoon climates are driven by seasonal changes in surface heating as illustrated in the figure above (courtesy of pmfias.com). During the summer, India and southern Asia heats up more than the surrounding ocean causing low pressure to develop over the land. This causes the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) to move over land and causes warm, moist air to flow onshore. This flow results in heavy rainfall over land. The opposite occurs over land in winter. The land cools more than the adjacent ocean, high pressure develops, and offshore flow inhibits rainfall. The rainfall in Adelaide in winter is driven by mid-latitude cyclones, not directly by large-scale changes in surface heating and a reversal in wind direction, but the intensity of the rain is similar to what occurs in a monsoon climate. Hence, the climate of Adelaide is sort of a cross between a Mediterranean and monsoon climate. Perhaps a new climate subtype should be developed that better describes the climate of southern Australia. To learn more about weather/climate topics relevant to Australia and the South Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Dr. Ken Leppert II   DISCUSSION: As Southern Hemisphere Fall settles in, Australia also winds down on the summer heat experienced since earlier this year. But last weekend, a considerable late-summer heat wave held a firm grip on the eastern Australian coast. Sydney recorded a trio of consecutive days with high temperatures above 30°C (86°F), a streak that has not been observed in the New South Wales capital since 1902 and only once more in 1889. Saturday afternoon also saw high temperatures exceed 30°C in all of the eastern capitals (e.g. Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and Hobart) for the first time since 1965. Inland locations of New South Wales and Queensland saw the mercury soar to near 40°C (104°F) which set new daily records in stations such as Albion Park.
The heat generated over the last couple of days was largely due in part to a strong low-pressure system and associated cold front moving east over the Great Australian Bight. This low-pressure system promoted southeasterly advection of hot air from the Australian Outback. In addition, a high-pressure system was located over southern Queensland. Sunny skies prevailed as plenty of subsidence was induced by the more stable airmass. The combination of these two features in close proximity creates a tight pressure gradient which led to average wind speeds in excess of 20 mph over much of the east coast for much of the afternoon hours on Sunday. The high temperatures and brisk winds combined to spark several bushfires along the Far South Coast, including the town of Tathra where damage and destruction to over 100 houses and caravans were reported through Monday morning. On a global scale, the weather patterns resemble typical conditions during a La-Niña event. La-Niña is the term that describes a cooling of the Eastern and Central Pacific sea surface temperatures, shallowing of the ocean thermocline (e.g. the slope of lines of constant temperature) towards the surface, and elevated trade winds in the near-equatorial latitudes. Direct effects on Australia from La-Niña include a slight cool departure in temperatures and wetter than normal conditions, which makes this event highly anomalous. Fortunately, a reprieve from this heat wave is in store for the rest of this week for much of the South Coast. A high-pressure system over the Tasman sea will induce southeasterly flow onto the mainland. At the same time, a shortwave trough is expected to move east towards New South Wales which is expected to destabilize the atmosphere enough for thunderstorms to develop. The Sydney area could expect to see rainfall accumulations above 50 mm through Saturday. Those along the Hunter Coast (e.g. including cities like Newcastle and Port Stephens) may expect upwards of 100 mm, which is why the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe storm watch and a flood watch. This onshore flow and greater cloud coverage should also keep afternoon temperatures in check. However, much of inland Queensland won’t see much in the way of rain over the next few days as continued subsidence prevails, keeping much of the state in a substantial drought. Image credits: David Porter; Australian Bureau of Meteorology To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Australia and the South Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Brian Matilla   DISCUSSION: The Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an area of deep convection that forms along the equator and propagates eastward around the globe. The Australian region is currently experiencing an especially strong convectively-active westerly phase of the MJO. The active MJO phase is termed the westerly phase because a large-scale area of persistent anomalous westerly winds at the surface occur in association with the enhanced convection. The top figure above from the Bureau of Meteorology shows the forecast surface winds valid at 5 am AEDT 5 February 2018 showing westerly winds across and north of the northern part of Australia. The westerly winds help provide moisture to the convection and help drive storm systems and moisture into northwest Australia. One such storm (an ordinary tropical low, not a tropical cyclone) that occurred early last week dumped almost half a meter of rain in 24 hours on Broome, Western Australia. Broome is located near the black dot in the top figure, and the bottom picture from the WA News shows a flooded golf course that resulted from that much rain falling in such a short time. This storm system was also associated with severe winds. Dramatic storm systems like tropical cyclones and blizzards often grab our attention. But, it is important to remember that less dramatic or potentially less publicized weather events can also wreak havoc like this tropical low that was associated with a strong active MJO phase.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! © 2018 Dr. Ken Leppert II 
DISCUSSION: Over the past few days, a progressively stronger low-pressure system has been barreling directly towards central and southern portions of New Zealand. As a result of this increasingly stronger low-pressure system approaching the island nation of New Zealand, this system consequently began to generate increasing larger ocean swells. Thus, as this increasingly deeper low-pressure system continued approaching central/southern New Zealand, this promoted increasingly more intense wave action along the immediate coastline. As with all intense coastal wave action from incoming low-pressure systems, this also consequently induced pronounced inland flooding (especially around inland towns/cities which lie at a similar elevation as that of the immediate coastline).
It is also worth noting that regions including (but certainly not limited to) the East Coast of the United States of America are not unfamiliar to such events during the Winter season by any means. This is primarily due to the increased propensity for Winter-time coastal low-pressure systems during the Winter months (i.e., December through March). When such storm systems do occur, they often deliver quite a nasty punch to coastal towns and cities. Often times, leaving many thousands (and sometimes even millions) of people without power for an extended period of time. Attached above is raw footage of strong wave action along part of the coastline of southern New Zealand during this recent event. As you can see, the wave action was quite ferocious during this evening and undoubtedly led to substantial beach erosion. Also attached above is a neat slideshow rendering of the progression of this recent low-pressure system over the course of roughly 48 to 60 hours per surface analyses in the vicinity of Australia and New Zealand. Therefore, if and when you are ever in the path of a coastal low-pressure system and are asked to evacuate immediate coastal regions, be sure to heed the warnings accordingly. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Heavy Rainfall To Continue Hammering Parts of Southeast Australia (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)12/3/2017  DISCUSSION: Although it may getting farther into the beginning of the Winter season across a good portion of the Northern Hemisphere, it is a completely different story across many parts of the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, across the continent of Australia, people are experiencing the beginnings of the 2017 Summer-time months. From a historical perspective, the months of December, January, and February are often observed to be the hottest months of the year across much of the "Land Down Under." Moreover, at the beginning of the Summer-time season, that is when some of the heavier rainfall events which occur throughout a given year take place.
On that note, the current large-scale weather situation is somewhat concerning across a good portion of Southeastern Australia. This is due to the fact that several regional forecast models are coming to a semi-decent consensus on a weak low-pressure system (which is currently slowly developing just offshore from the vicinity of the Gold Coast region) to further deepen as it continues on a its current southward track. As a result of this low-pressure's anticipated intensification, this will help to facilitate stronger onshore flow both in the vicinity of and to the south of Brisbane (and ultimately further south towards towns/cities in parts of eastern Victoria). This increased onshore flow will help to usher in much larger quantities of warm, moist air which will make the regional atmospheric environment much more conducive for locally heavier rainfall potential. Thus, as a result of these heavy rainfall forecast concerns, the Bureau of Meteorology has already issued corresponding flood/flash flood advisories and/or warnings to various parts of Queensland in advance of the bulk of this heavier rainfall which is more than likely going to unfold. If you or someone you know is currently situated in one of more of the potential upcoming forecast flood zones for the next couple of days, it would be advisable to seek higher ground (especially if they are positioned in a valley). This is due to the fact that as heavy rainfall falls over regions of more elevated terrain for an extended period of time, this ultimately leads to the accumulation of most rainfall at points of lowest elevation. Thus, even after a short burst of heavy rainfall, a tranquil stream or river within a valley can quickly turn into a raging (and potentially life-threatening) river of rainfall and any debris picked up along the way. Therefore, if you or someone you know is living under a region which is currently under a flood or flash flood warning and/or advisory, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. That is very important regardless of where you are since regional topography will always dictate how floodwaters behave regardless of what measures you take either before a given flooding event or on a seasonal basis ahead of anticipated rainy periods. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: Within the past 24 hours, there has been increasing water vapor transport occurring across a good portion of southeastern Australia. As per the discussion included (courtesy of the Higgins Storm Chasing team), "Over the last 24 hours, the ski resorts have been subjected to warmer air and exceptional rainfall. While it wasn’t record breaking rainfall, the 146 mm at Perisher, 135 mm at Falls Creek (76 mm at the AWS was 4 mm shy of the record) and 128 mm at Thredbo have no doubt accelerated the snow melting process, as temperatures remained above freezing for the majority of the time the rain was falling. Widespread rainfall totals of 50 mm+ fell over the remainder of the Snowy Mountains spread across far southeastern parts of southeastern Australia. This rainfall was also accompanied by near-destructive winds with 120 km/hour recorded at Thredbo before the AWS stopped recording wind speeds.
Thus, it goes without saying that this upcoming winter blast will most definitely impact both ground and air travel across these parts of Australia. Therefore, if you or someone you know is living across this portion of southeastern Australia, it is important to keep in touch with them and make sure that they remain safe and sound as this winter weather impacts day-to-day activities. Depending on how long this winter weather persists across far southeastern Australia, the snowfall impacting these parts of southeastern Australia will more than likely continue at those areas located at higher elevations based on the fact that regional upslope forcing (i.e., persistent destabilization of the lower-to-middle parts of the troposphere) will help to sustain in-cloud snowfall-producing processes at those points of higher elevation. To learn more about this Australian forecast scenario, click on the following link. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Unprecedented Winter-time Heatwave To Impact Parts of Australia! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)8/11/2017  DISCUSSION: Over the next several days, there is expected to be an increase in unusually hot temperatures as compared to the normal temperatures which are typically found across portions of northern and northeastern Australia. The expected forecast scenario which is projected to help trigger this prolonged heatwave across the northern half of Australia is captured in the direct excerpt attached below.
"It all starts tomorrow (Friday) when a high pressure system builds over the state. This high becomes anchored for 7 days blocking any cold fronts from down South. It will result in fine sunny conditions across the state with light winds. Heat will slowly begin to build through the interior during the weekend. This heat will then spread east and continue to get hotter into next week reaching a peak on Wednesday and Thursday. Finally a cold front will push through Southern inland and Western districts next Thursday before spreading across the state next weekend bringing temperatures back to near normal." It goes without saying that such a widespread Winter-time heat wave will certainly catch many people by surprise due to the fact that Winter-time temperatures across even these parts of Australia (which also encompass parts of the Australian outback), since temperatures in this part of the world often do not exceed 10 to 15 degrees Celsius during this part of the Winter season in the "Land Down Under." To learn more about this particular incoming heatwave, click on the following link. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As the Southern Hemisphere moves through the heart of their Winter-time season, many wintry scenes have been more and more common over the past couple of days across parts of far southeastern Australia. Often times, across parts of eastern and southeastern Australia, there is a particularly more conducive set-up for wintry weather events based on the fact that low-pressure systems propagating across parts of the Australian Outback end up being able to tap in ample moisture provided by larger-scale flow emanating from the Bass Strait and/or the Tasman Sea. Hence, the combination of warmer air being drawn in from further offshore along with the increasing upslope flow present especially across parts of southeastern Australia in light of the elevated terrain present across this (and other) part(s) of Australia and in a geographically favorable position. Therefore, although this is not entirely uncommon, it is always a welcome sight for ski and Winter-time tourist resorts across these parts of Australia.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Major Rainfall Expected for Central and Northern Queensland! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)8/1/2017  DISCUSSION: As a weak trough associated with a relatively weak area of low-pressure gradually moves through the Coral Sea over the next several days, an impressive Winter-time set up will unfold across the north/northeastern parts of Queensland, Australia. During the upcoming weekend, there is expected to be impressively strong warm air advection (and consequently a strong presence of moisture) which will make for an increasingly favorable environment for heavy rainfall across this region. As this trough of low pressure gradually pushes through the aforementioned parts of Australia, there will also be a substantially increased threat for widespread flooding based on the plethora of moisture which will be bearing down on those parts of the "Land Down Under." Moreover, areas located in somewhat lower-lying areas will be even more vulnerable based on the fact that such areas will be at risk of increased flooding due to increased ponding of water. Furthermore, there is a good chance that localized flood warnings will be issued in some parts of northeast Australia in the wake of the upcoming flooding threat.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  On May 9th, Tropical Cyclone Ella was a tropical storm located about 150 nautical miles west-southwest of Pago-Pago. As of 11:00 AM EDT, Ella’s maximum sustained winds are at 52 mph (45 knots). According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Ella will be moving into an environment that is favorable for further development with warm sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear. Due to Tropical Cyclone Donna’s location being to the west, Tropical Cyclone Ella’s outflow is being restrained; making it difficult for the storm to strengthen. Tropical Cyclone Ella is not expected to strengthen to hurricane force as it is supposed to weaken as it approaches Fiji in three days. Tropical Cyclone Ella is the nineteenth storm to form in the Southern Pacific Ocean as of May 9th. The picture above was taken from NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP Satellite of Tropical Cyclone Ella located northeast of the island of Fiji. To read the full discussion from NASA, click the link!
For more updates on the Southern Pacific Ocean, click here! ⓒ Meteorologist Brandie Cantrell 
DISCUSSION: As of late Sunday evening, Cyclone Donna has now strengthened to a Category 4 equivalent tropical cyclone as it continues moving off to the south with passing time. As a result, several smaller islands across southern sections of Oceania continue to remain to be in the cross-hairs of this dangerously strong tropical cyclone. The only sliver of good news in all of this is the fact that as this tropical cyclone continues to move south with time, the amount of warmer sea-surface temperatures will quickly begin to decrease. This will help to eliminate any conducive fuel sources for tropical cyclone intensity maintenance and/or further intensification. Thus, although the situation remains to be concerning at this time across several islands within Oceania, this storm is expected to weaken somewhat before reaching any reasonably populated islands. Hence, the overall impacts from this powerful tropical cyclone should be lessened somewhat as compared to if it made landfall while at it's current intensity.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Australia and the South Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz The Science Behind A Gorgeous Sunset in Southeast Australia! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)4/17/2017  DISCUSSION: As shown in the image above (courtesy of Mick Loxley Photography) and re-shared by the Higgins Storm Chasing team, there was a stunning sunset which recently took place across many parts of southeastern Australia as shown in the photograph above which was captured over in Lake Macquarie located in coastal New South Wales. In regards to how such sunsets occur, they are produced from a process known as Rayleigh Scattering. Rayleigh scattering refers to the scattering of light off of the molecules of the air, and can be extended to scattering from particles up to about a tenth of the wavelength of the light. It is Rayleigh scattering off the molecules of the air which gives us the blue sky that we observed during the day.
When this occurs in the evening, the variable angle at which light reflects and/or refracts off of various particles suspended in the lower portions of the atmosphere determines the colors which are produced near the time of sunset on any given day in any part of the world. In areas where there are larger population densities, this often lends for more interesting sunset colors and variability thereof since there are many different types of air-borne pollutants and particles which respectively act to reflect and/or refract light in different ways. To learn more about other neat weather- and weather-related stories from across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: After being battered by high winds and heavy rain from Cyclone Cook, more wet weather appears to be in store for New Zealand (North Island especially) courtesy of another low pressure center currently off the west coast of the North Island. The figure above shows forecast 3-hour rain totals ending 6 pm local time Sunday. The color scale ranges from ~1 mm (light blues) up to 15 mm (yellow). Based on this model, rain is expected over most of the North Island during this time period. The cyclonic (clockwise)winds and circular rain band off the west coast of the North Island reveal the presence of the low pressure center. (For forecast rain totals for other time periods, see this website.) The rain should clear east of New Zealand by Monday night. Hopefully, dry conditions will persist for a while.
Disclaimer: The figure above is made freely available by MetService. Despite this, MetService is not associated with, and does not endorse GWCC or have involvement in how this information is presented. To learn more about other interesting weather stories from across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Dr. Ken Leppert II  DISCUSSION: In light of recent tropical cyclone events threatening and/or impacting many parts of northwest and northeast Australia, many people across these parts of Australia have been wondering when things would finally come down. As these parts of Australia get further and further into this Easter holiday weekend, many will be visiting family and friends across various parts of the country. As reflected by the high-resolution visible satellite image (courtesy of the Himawari-8 satellite), there are finally relatively calm conditions in place across nearly all of northeastern Australia which is predominantly comprised of the Queensland province of Australia. Therefore, many people will be getting out and enjoying this holiday weekend with very pleasant weather across the region. Moreover, there are no current or lingering regional tropical cyclone threats at this time either.
To learn more about other interesting weather stories from across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Impressive View of Cyclone Cook! (credit: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)4/12/2017 
DISCUSSION: In light of the impacts expected from Cyclone Cook across many parts of New Zealand, there has been much interest across that part of the world to better analyze this system as it approaches this region. In that regard, the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (based in Auckland, New Zealand) created a high-resolution computer model simulation of Cyclone Cook to help project how it will most likely impact the region. As you can see in the high resolution 1.5 km model attached above (courtesy of NIWA), it shows #CycloneCook making landfall just south of Whangamata on Thursday evening (around 6:00 pm). Around this time, destructive wind gusts in excess of 150 km/h will be occurring across parts of the the Bay of Plenty. Gusts may approach 180 km/h along the immediate coastline. Hence, this cyclone will more than likely have major impacts across a very large stretch of New Zealand with some areas getting particularly rough impacts from this incoming low pressure system.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: The Pacific Island of New Caledonia braces as Tropical Cyclone Cook makes landfall, after already experiencing flooding concerns amidst increased rainfall this season. Current data from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Pearl Harbor Hawaii is indicating maximum sustained winds at 75 knots with gusts up to 90 knots. Winds several hours ago topped 85 knots which would put Cook at approximately Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. According to local news, flooding is expected to be the major concern in the area, with just light reports currently of downed trees but no major issues surrounding the storm yet. As deep convective bands are seen within this system, Cook is still showing impressive signs of organization. We can expect that flooding will be an issue as Cook couples itself with warm sea temperatures, with strong outflow, and its bands to provide increased precipitation, however the low vertical wind shear that had been seen in earlier model runs seems to be increasing which may stifle increased development in the system. For more information on past, present and future storms visit the Global Weather and Climate Center! ~Meteorologist Jessica Olsen Tropical Cyclone Ernie Makes A Statement Offshore from NW Australia! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)4/8/2017  DISCUSSION: Over the past 24 to 48 hours, a tropical low quickly intensified to a minimal Category 2 Tropical Cyclone and then quickly to a monstrous Category 5 Tropical Cyclone. Although this is a large and intense tropical cyclone, the good news in this situation is the fact that this storm is no threat to any part of Australia or any land mass whatsoever. The only impacts with the remainder of Tropical Cyclone Ernie's lifetime will be strong wave action and some mid/high-level clouds across portions of northwestern Australia. As this system continues to slowly travel in a southwesterly direction over the next couple of days, it will gradually begin to weaken down to a remnant tropical low pressure system well offshore from western Australia. Needless to say that this is "a breath of fresh air" for many people across much of northwestern Australia in light of the recent impacts from Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie across several parts of northeastern Australia. To learn more about this particular tropical cyclone, feel free to click the following link!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As we reflect on the recent impacts from Tropical Cyclone Debbie on northeastern Australia, many people were living under the impression that the primary impacts from the remnants of Debbie were over. However, after Debbie made landfall in northeastern Australia and gradually weakened to a remnant low with just a plethora of moisture, the atmosphere had other ideas. More specifically, as the remnants of Debbie continued to push through portions of eastern Australia during the latter part of last week, heavy rainfall continued to ensure across many inland areas. Moreover, as the remnant circulation of Debbie continued to move off to the southeast and then east-southeast with time, it is now encroaching on parts of New Zealand. The remnants of Debbie are expected to bring a plethora of heavy rainfall and windy conditions across many parts of the island nation as described in more detail in the article above (courtesy of the Higgins Storm Chasing team)!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Surveying the Damage from the Impacts of Tropical Cyclone Debbie! (credit: 9 News Australia)3/29/2017  DISCUSSION: Well after the recent landfall of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie, many people across coastal sections of northeastern Australia woke up to a substantially different world. In the wake of the intense wind and water damage (i.e., from storm surge as well as heavy rainfall), there was major infrastructural damage inflicted on homes and businesses during of this recent storm's impacts. As shown in the image above as well as the website link below, there was major damage inflicted along the immediate coastline areas as TC Debbie roared ashore during the late evening hours on Monday. If any good news came out of this event, it was that there appeared to be little to no storm-related casualties from TC Debbie which was likely due to the fact that the majority of people in the path of this powerful tropical cyclone heeded the warnings! It is also worth noting that due in part to the relatively slow progression of TC Debbie as it came ashore, strong winds lashed many coastal cities which included (but were certainly not limited to) Shute Harbour, Queensland, Australia which produced the results shown above and in the link attached here!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Revealing Damage from the Landfall of Tropical Cyclone Debbie! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)3/28/2017 
DISCUSSION: As a very strong Tropical Cyclone Debbie rolled ashore later Tuesday evening, there were severe impacts across many regions. As shown in the graphic above (courtesy of the Higgins Storm Chasing team), there was substantial damage inflicted on many coastal towns and cities. One such impacted city (as captured above), was the city of Shute Harbor which was severely impacted by strong winds and storm surge damaged. Being as though water (i.e, in this case being the wave action coming in with the circulation of Tropical Cyclone Debbie) power is the most powerful force on Earth, there was no surprise with the fact that there was severe damage inflicted on the coastline of northeastern Australia. However, the process of recovering from such severe impacts will naturally take time to happen and will be a regional gradual process. It is important to note that even as the immediate and worst impacts associated with the landfall of Debbie have now ended for the most part, there will still be impacts from the associated moisture over the next couple of days. This will be a result of the circulation associated with a much weaker Tropical Cyclone Debbie being absorbed into another low pressure system over the next few days towards the beginnings of the South Pacific Ocean.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Tropical Cyclone Debbie Landfalls in NE Queensland! (credit: Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz)3/27/2017  DISCUSSION: As of the early afternoon hours (i.e., with respect to Australian Eastern Standard Time), the western eye wall has begun to move ashore into several cities positioned across parts of northeastern Queensland, Australia! The impacts from this large and powerful tropical cyclone will continue well-beyond the point of landfall. As this large tropical cyclone continues to move further inland and gradually weaken, there will continue to be heavy rainfall, strong-to-damaging winds, and large-scale flooding across many impacted areas. To learn about more details pertaining to the landfall and post-landfall impacts of Tropical Cyclone #Debbie, feel free to watch the Facebook live and lower video briefing (attached above).
To learn more about other high-impact events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Tropical Cyclone Debbie Closing In On NE Australia! (credit: ABC News 24 and New Zealand Herald)3/26/2017 
DISCUSSION: As explained in more detail in both the graphics and video attached above, there continue to be major large-scale concerns for the continued approach of Tropical Cyclone Debbie. As this powerful tropical cyclone continues on its current southwestward track, it will be closing in on the coastline running along many parts of northeastern Queensland, Australia. Moreover, as shown in the lower image (attached above), it may very well make landfall as a dangerous Category 4 storm (i.e., maximum sustained winds near the center at or over 209 kilometers/hour or 130 miles/hour.) Thus, as this storm gradually pushes further inland, there will absolutely remain to be a continued wind and flooding threat. This is primarily due to the particularly large size of the Debbie's circulation. Hence, as this large cyclone moves ashore, there will be a plethora of rainfall over a large region which is climatologically dry for the most part this time of year. Therefore, this will increase the overall flooding threat as a result of the large amounts of incoming rainfall not being able to permeate into the soil across many parts of northeast Australia.
For more details on this incoming tropical cyclone threat, here are some direct excerpts from the Bureau of Meteorology: "Emergency information for Tropical Cyclone Debbie:For storm and flood assistance contact SES on 132 500 and in a life-threatening emergency call 000 Evacuations are in place for Whitsundays low-lying areas, Cape Cleveland areas, and Burdekin coastal communities must be out by 10am Refuge centres and cyclone shelters are open in the Whitsundays, Townsville and Ayr All flights are cancelled for tomorrow out of Whitsundays airport. Flights to and from Townsville and Mackay airports are still operational Sandbags available from councils in Townsville, Bowen and Mackay." To learn more about this and other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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