Australia had a run of extreme events during the January–February summer. The country saw long heatwaves, storms, floods and large bushfires that began in late December 2024 and continued into mid-January.
Fires damaged national parks and visitor facilities, and there were worries for threatened animals and rare plants. Coral bleaching also grew worse in 2024. Northern Australia experienced severe wet-season floods, and the monsoon reached Darwin late in early February 2025. A powerful cyclone hit northwestern areas, and many people faced damage, moves and higher home insurance costs.
Difficult words
- heatwave — A period of very hot weatherheatwaves
- bushfire — A large fire in wild open countrybushfires
- bleaching — When coral loses its colour and becomes pale
- cyclone — A very strong tropical storm with winds
- flood — Large amounts of water covering landfloods
- threatened — At risk of disappearing or dying out
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Discussion questions
- Have you ever experienced a heatwave or strong storm? What happened?
- What would you do if a flood came to your area?
- How would damage and higher home insurance costs affect people in a community?
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