January 2003:
Are extreme droughts, and the wild firestorms that they foster, just a fact of life? Is this as bad as it's going to get or could the risk of drought and bushfires such as we saw in Canberra continue to grow?______________________
The severe weather conditions that Australia is currently experiencing are a disaster. But it is not a natural disaster. A report, released on January 14, prepared by Professor David Karoly, Dr James Risbey and Anna Reynolds for the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia, found that the severity of the current drought is a result of human-induced global warming.
May 2009:
CANBERRA, May 22 (Reuters) - Authorities moved to evacuate thousands of people from a second Australian town on Friday as floodwaters from days of torrential rain inundated large parts of the country's east coast.
About 5,000 residents in Lismore, in northern New South Wales (NSW) state, were evacuated from their homes as floodwaters, in some places more than 10 metres (32 feet) deep, surged across riverlands stretching along 300 km (185 miles) of coastline.
Authorities also urged 9,000 people to evacuate the nearby town of Grafton, with floodwaters up to 8 metres deep expected to hit the town late on Friday. State authorities declared disaster zones in six areas, unlocking government help.
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