Devastating bushfires, less rain and more heatwaves: New report paints a terrifying picture of the direction Australia's weather is heading
- State of the Climate report has predicted longer bushfire seasons in Australia
- The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO joint-report also forecast less rainfall
- Australia's temperature has warmed more than one degree Celsius since 1910
- Most of the warming has happened since 1950 and raised sea levels along coast
A terrifying new report is warning bushfire seasons will become more devastating and heatwaves more extreme in Australia.
The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO released a joint report that warns of a big shift in the climate.
The State of the Climate analysis is released twice a year and this time around it showed less rainfall and more hot days.
'Australia is projected to experience further increases in sea and air temperatures, with more hot days and marine heatwaves, and fewer cool extremes,' the report stated.
A terrifying new report is warning bushfire seasons will become more devastating and heatwaves more extreme in Australia (stock photo)
Bureau manager of climate Karl Braganza told news.com.au a change in weather, temperature and humidity would lead to drawn out fire seasons.
'What we can see is a clear shift towards a lengthened fire season, more fire weather during the season, and that fire weather has become more severe.
'We see it broadly across most of the continent (but) there are some parts where the fire season has lengthened by months.'
The changing weather has been under the watchful eye of climate observers for more than 60 years.
Over the past few decades the climate shift has escalated and brought with it significant risks.
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Dr Braganza said long-term drought, long-term above average termperatures and short term heatwaves would be the biggest challenges to overcome in the future.
Meteorologists have also been observing average temperatures since 1910.
Using this data they can calculate the number of extreme heat events each year.
There have been 30 extreme heat days since 2013 - an increase of 500 per cent.
CSIRO's Climate Science Centre director Helen Cleugh noted the effects were felt sooner rather than later.
Since 1910, Australia is more than one degree warmer.
According to the report most of the warming has happened since 1950.
Eight out of 10 of Australia's warmest years have been recorded from 2005 onwards (stock photo)
Eight out of 10 of Australia's warmest years have been recorded from 2005 onwards.
What's more, warming oceans have also raised sea levels.
Dr Cleugh said the rising waters would have repercussions for infrastructure, coastal regions and erosion.
Waters around the southeast and north coast of Australia have also been rising quicker than global rates.
Rainfall has also dropped 20 per cent since 1970.
The combination of reduced rain and higher temperatures would exacerbate drought, Dr Cleugh said.
The above map details the number of extreme heat days that happened during the year. Around 30 days were recorded after 2010 in one year compared to less than four days around 1910
The yellow and red colours in the map indicate an increasing length and intensity of the fire weather season. The faded parts in central Western Australia are because of sparse data coverage
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