Australia's harsh summer: fires, floods and heat ^{CEFR B1}

Australia experienced a severe run of natural emergencies during the January–February summer. Heatwaves, bushfires, storms and floods, linked to the worsening climate crisis, disrupted lives, damaged ecosystems and put extra pressure on public services and insurance markets.

Large bushfires began in southeastern Australia in late December 2024 and were not contained until mid-January. Scientists went to the fire-damaged Grampians National Park to try to save the Grampians globe-pea, a critically endangered shrub that had been fruiting when fires swept its habitat. A second outbreak merged with the original fire about a fortnight later. Major new fires also burned in Little Desert National Park, and facilities at Little Desert Nature Lodge were destroyed. There were concerns for threatened animals such as the Malleefowl.

Coral bleaching worsened in 2024, with high levels recorded in the southern Great Barrier Reef and rising rates of mortality and disease. Northern Australia saw severe wet-season floods from November to April, especially in Far North Queensland, and the monsoon reached Darwin on 7 February 2025, the latest recorded arrival. Other extremes included Category 5 Cyclone Zelia in mid-February and intense December heatwaves. National reports linked warming to more frequent extreme heat, and a conservation report recorded 56 species newly recognised as threatened in 2024.

Demographers estimate around 22,000 Australians move home each year after climate disasters, which mainly affects poorer households. About 15 percent of households face home insurance affordability stress, and average home insurance premiums rose 14 percent between 2022 and 2023. Disasters continued into the last week of summer with further wild weather and potential cyclones.