SES rescues more than 20 people stuck in their cars following heavy snow
According to a Facebook post on Monday, SES unit volunteers from Bright and Falls Creek assisted Victoria Police with the rescue of the stranded motorists after more than 50cm of snowfall in the area over the weekend.
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Similar snowfalls have been recorded at other popular Australian ski fields following a cold snap since early winter, including Thredo and Perisher in New South Wales, and Mt Hotham, Mt Buller and Falls Creek in Victoria.
The SES advises that if you're travelling in alpine regions this long weekend, be aware of road closures due to heavy snowfall – in Victoria via the VicTraffic website. You can also view snow chain requirements here.
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Mercury
37 minutes ago
- Mercury
Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast: The coastal suburbs that could disappear
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Climate Central's risk screening tool indicates that Sydney localities such as Kurnell Beach, Towra Point, Cartler Island, Sydney Airport, and parts of Bondi Beach face regular flooding and erosion. In Melbourne, suburbs including Patterson Lakes, Aspendale, Docklands, and the Cheetham wetlands are under significant threat by 2050. Adelaide could see high-tide inundation of properties in Port Adelaide, Wingfield, Semaphore Park, Grange, and New Port. The Salisbury Council's new City Plan 2035 report may also be affected. Key areas to watch in Brisbane include almost all coastal communities north of Wynnum and south of Thornside, as well as the Gold Coast. In Darwin, northern suburbs are most at risk. Coastal property crisis looms: One in ten homes set to become uninsurable A climate change-fuelled insurance crisis is looming for Australian homeowners, with new modelling predicting a dramatic increase in uninsurable properties. Climate Valuation analysts warn that within the next decade, one in ten Australian homes will be effectively uninsurable due to the escalating risks of rising sea levels and extreme weather. Currently, around 380,000 properties are already deemed either uninsurable or unaffordable to insure, equating to about one in every 20 homes. Rural and regional areas are already feeling the pinch, with community lawyer Denis Nelthorpe reporting instances of homeowners receiving exorbitant flood insurance premiums, effectively rendering them uninsurable, according to the ABC. As insurance becomes unaffordable, property values are predicted to plummet, creating 'mortgage prisoners' trapped in unsellable homes. Climate Valuation chief executive Karl Mallon warns that banks may begin refusing mortgage applications in high-risk zones, further exacerbating the crisis. 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West Australian
an hour ago
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Climate warning turns up heat on efforts to net zero
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Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Climate warning turns up heat on efforts to net zero
Capital cities across Australia could face scorching temperatures exceeding 50C alongside a surge in extreme fire days unless the nation urgently slashes climate pollution and adopts a strong 2035 emissions target, the Climate Council warns. The independent climate science organisation finds climate change is accelerating faster than previously predicted, and global efforts to combat it are falling dangerously short. The Climate Council's Stronger Target, Safer Future report published on Wednesday calls for Australia to cut climate pollution by 75 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, and reach net zero by 2035. Chief executive Amanda McKenzie told AAP the federal government needed to step up and tackle the crisis when delivering its 2035 targets in the coming months. A weak climate target was not a passive choice, she said. "We found the weaker the target, the more risk of damage and disaster. We wanted to emphasise that if you're advocating for weak targets, that is an active commitment to greater global disruption and damage," Ms McKenzie said. "Those who advocate for weak targets must articulate clearly their costed plans to support, relocate or protect the Australian community through unprecedented social and economic breakdown." The report revealed that Australia has already warmed by an average of 1.51C since national records began in 1910. If global temperatures rise by 3C, the country would become unrecognisable after suffering catastrophic impacts. Days reaching 50C could be common in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne and the number of extreme fire days could double. A one-metre rise in sea levels, which is possible by the end of the century could put 160,000 to 250,000 properties at risk of coastal flooding. "The combination of rising sea levels and increasingly intense low-pressure systems and cyclones greatly increases the damage from storm surges, inundation and coastal erosion," the report says. "Extreme heat, bushfires and severe storms put mounting pressure on urban infrastructure and dwellings, rendering many properties and businesses uninsurable." The report reveals strong targets are essential to protect Australians from worsening climate harm, open economic opportunities in clean industries, and enhance security relationships in the region. It noted any target set lower than this raises the level of risk for families, community, economy and national security. Australia also faces a staggering $4.2 trillion economic hit over the next 50 years if climate continues unchecked, the report found. The federal government will set an "ambitious and achievable" 2035 emissions reduction target and commit to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with its Net Zero Plan due in late-2025. The pledge aligns with the Paris agreement, which Australia and 195 other parties adopted in 2015, which aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C and less than 2C.
