Abstract

From searing heatwaves and crippling droughts, to flooding rains and intense hail –
Australia is no stranger to extreme events. The impacts of weather and climate
extremes are many and varied, but almost always adverse. Moreover, the impact of
anthropogenic climate change is not felt via seemingly modest increases in global
average temperature, rather via high-impact changes in the intensity, frequency and
duration of extreme events. As anthropogenic influence on the global climate
continues to increase, improving the prediction and projections of various types of
extreme weather and climate events is crucial to aid in effective adaptation and
mitigation planning. However, this is no easy task, with understanding changes in
some extreme events being easier to assess than others. This talk will explore the
prediction and projection of certain classes of extreme events that are prominent for
the Australian region. Recent scientific developments will be discussed, as well as
what is required to improve the accuracy and precision of their prediction and
projections in the coming decade/s. The presentation will conclude with a brief
introduction of extreme-event attribution, and the fledgling field of impact attribution,
whereby the impacts of extreme events are attributed to anthropogenic influence on
the climate.