The switch from El Niño to La Niña across the South Pacific has brought cooler than average temperatures to eastern Australia for 2010. The President of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Prof. Neville Nicholls has described the current La Niña as ‘super strong’—either strongest or second strongest on record, with the highest December Southern […]
By REBECCA THURLOWMARCH 9, 2011 SYDNEY—The damage done by Cyclone Yasi to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s top attraction, will take decades to fully mend, according to a growing number of scientists—which could reduce both visitor numbers and the local fishing industry’s catches. In the worst-hit areas “there was hardly a coral to be found […]
VIDEO: Floods hit cyclone-battered Cardwell By Peter Michael, Brian Williams, and Koren HelbigMarch 09, 2011 SHATTERED Cyclone Yasi victims are battling a second cruel blow as torrential rain floods already-battered towns, leaving residents stranded and sodden. Cardwell is isolated, with roads cut to the north and the south. Forecasters predict 200mm of rain between Cooktown […]
By Steven Wardill, The Courier-MailMarch 07, 2011 EXPERTS hired by insurance companies have blamed Wivenhoe Dam for contributing to the devastating floods in Brisbane and Ipswich. A report written for the Insurance Australia Group, which owns NRMA and CGU, details how releases from Wivenhoe, combined with intense rainfall, flooded hundreds of homes and businesses. The […]
Enough supply, but price is a question: Al Ghurair By VM SathishFebruary 27, 2011 Food supply and food stocks in the region will remain tight for the rest of 2011 as the unexpected bush fire in Russia, flood in Australia, and climatic problems in other producing countries have caused a shortage in the supply of […]
By Faye SunderlandFebruary 25, 2011 Australia has abolished plans to help develop greener cars and encourage consumer uptake of lower emission vehicles. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced that the country’s $1.3 billion Green Car Innovation Fund will be dropped along with the Cleaner Car Rebate Scheme as part of spending cuts to help finance […]
21 Feb 2011 (ITN) – Up to 300 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in northern Australia due to rising flood levels caused by Cyclone Carlos. River Daly peaked early in the day, flooding homes in the small town of Nauiyu, south of Darwin. Local reports state animals in the area were snatched […]
Expat Down Under Russell Ward felt strangely distanced from Australia’s recent spate of natural disasters – until someone in his family was affected. By Russell Ward18 Feb 2011 Expats in Australia will remember this summer mainly for nature wreaking absolute havoc across the country. It began in the second week of the new year with […]
Source: Maplecroft15 Feb 2011 The role of climate change in the recent catalogue of meteorological disasters will be hotly debated. It is widely acknowledged that a warming world will impact cyclone activity and rainfall patterns. However, the impact on the intensity of La Niña events remains uncertain. Event The 2010/2011 La Niña episode has left […]
By James Eck, Vice President,Senior Credit Officer, Moody’s Investors ServiceMoody’s Weekly Credit Outlook, February 14, 2011 Earnings reports from global reinsurance firms over the past two weeks shed light on losses arising from the December and January catastrophic floods in Queensland, Australia. While insured loss estimates are preliminary, we believe they will impact reinsurers’ earnings, […]
