Australia’s year has been bookended by unmistakable climate signals: mass coral bleaching at Ningaloo in Western Australia, record-breaking floods on New South Wales’ Mid North Coast and even the biggest New England snowfalls in two decades. The science is clear that Australia is already warmer and wetter in the extremes, with the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO reporting national warming of about 1.5°C since 1910 and a trend towards more intense downpours. 2024 was Australia’s second-warmest and eighth-wettest year on record, setting the stage for 2025’s extremes.

Field teams from the Australian Institute of Marine Science say the 2024/25 marine heatwave off WA was the state’s longest, largest and most intense on record, driving the most widespread bleaching ever observed across WA reefs. Heat stress at Ningaloo reached around 20 Degree Heating Weeks and parts of the Pilbara peaked near 30-levels associated with severe bleaching and coral mortality, confirmed by NOAA Coral Reef Watch metrics.

The ecological stakes are high. Bleaching has been documented at iconic sites such as Turquoise Bay and Coral Bay, with scientists warning that repeated heat stress reduces corals’ chances of recovery and threatens tourism and fisheries. Researchers also linked Western Australia’s recent marine heatwaves to sharply higher climate-driven probabilities. Communities tied to reef economies now face tougher seasons unless ocean heat abates.

On the east coast, the NSW State Emergency Service has shifted from response to recovery after floods that cut roads, swamped homes and isolated communities across the Mid North Coast and the Hunter. In Taree, officials confirmed the Manning River exceeded a century‑old flood record, and government agencies have begun long-haul reconstruction and mental health support.

Peak isolation ran to roughly 50,000 people, with hundreds of homes later declared uninhabitable after assessments. Emergency crews logged hundreds of rescues as intense rain fell in short bursts-exactly the kind of event Australia’s climate scientists have warned will become more common as the atmosphere warms.

Unseasonal cold brought a different kind of disruption inland. In August, the New England region recorded its biggest snowfalls in 20 years, closing roads and blanketing farms around Armidale. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so when cold outbreaks do arrive, heavy snow can still occur-another expression of a climate system packing more water vapour.

The Bureau of Meteorology notes heavy short‑duration rainfall is already intensifying in Australia, with hourly extremes likely to increase by around 15% per degree of warming. While natural variability still shapes any single storm or snowfall, the direction of travel is towards heavier bursts, which magnify flood risk for towns built along rivers and creeks.

Amid the damage, solutions are advancing. The 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge sent 34 university teams on a 3,000km run from Darwin to Adelaide-this time in late winter-stress‑testing ultra‑efficient EVs in real‑world conditions. Official race updates and national broadcasters confirmed the field size and the shift to an August start, which reduced heat stress on drivers but made energy management harder under lower sun angles.

That spirit of practical innovation is mirrored on Australian rooftops. Clean Energy Council data shows more than four million solar systems now installed, with rooftop PV generating about 12.4% of Australia’s electricity in 2024 and 12.8% in the first half of 2025, alongside record growth in home batteries. Relieving grid pressure during heatwaves and storms, distributed solar and storage are now central to resilience planning.

Biodiversity also took a headline turn for the better. Scientists identified Acrophylla alta-a supersized stick insect from North Queensland’s Wet Tropics-at roughly 40cm long and around 44g, close to the weight of a golf ball. It’s a reminder that intact rainforests still hold species new to science, underlining the value of strong protections for climate refuges.

For reef regions, recovery planning now leans on routine monitoring, localised restoration trials and-crucially-cutting heat stress by reducing emissions. AIMS coordinates a WA Coral Bleaching Group to share data and guide interventions while acknowledging restoration cannot substitute for stabilising temperatures. Tourism operators can support by following updated mooring and snorkel guidelines that limit physical damage on stressed corals.

For flood‑prone towns, the priorities are clear: buybacks or raise‑and‑repair programmes in the most exposed streets, early‑warning upgrades, nature‑based river restoration to create more room for water, and support for household batteries to keep fridges, pumps and connectivity running during outages. The science-and the year’s lived experience-both point to the same conclusion: plan for heavier bursts, hotter seas and longer wildfire seasons, while scaling the solutions that are already working.