El Niño weather event threatens Australia with extreme heat | Sunrise

Ajouté : 2026-06-04

[00:00:00]Thanks, Nat. We are being warned to gear up for extreme heat with an El Nino weather event edging closer as we speak.

[00:00:07]It's set to bring hotter and drier conditions our way, increasing the risk of bushfires and drought. So, how hot are we talking and what will this mean for our winter ahead? We're here to break it down. We have a sunrise coastal expert, Paul Burt, live in the NT where this time of year it's always hot and dry, isn't it? Dry season up that way. Just take us through, Bertie.

[00:00:31]El Nino, what is it again?

[00:00:33]>> Yeah, basically El Nino, it's a change in the in the in the in the weather pattern, also with the the Pacific basin with the ocean temperatures. And And that actually affects the whole global climate. And when we see the Pacific Ocean starting to warm, it stays further away from Australia and stays over towards South America. So, the warmer waters don't come our way. Therefore, it lessens the effect of no East Coast trade drier and cooler conditions overnight, but hotter temperatures throughout the day. And of course, then that leads into drought, fire risks, and a prolonged start to the wet season later in the year for up here in the Northern Territory.

[00:01:14]>> Yeah, farmers don't want to hear any of that. But also, too, metropolitan centers as well, water restrictions, all those sorts of things, potential bushfires on the fringes of the cities as well. When could it hit and for how long?

[00:01:26]>> Mate, it starts generally can last anywhere up to 8 years. And this is the thing, it's it's not going to happen just like that. It starts now and moves in towards winter and spring. So, as we move in the next couple of months, there, Shirvo, that's where we're going to see those changes coming. We have been in that neutral phase for a little bit now, but it's starting to swing that way. And obviously, with that temperature in the ocean warming up and staying more to the central parts of that basin, not moving close to Australia, they're the changes that we're typically starting to see. So, the next couple of months we'll see, but at that point in time, mate, we're going to be definitely in the full swing of moving into those much drier and hotter conditions throughout winter.

[00:02:01]>> What are people saying on the ground?

[00:02:02]You meet a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds traveling around the country at the moment. Are they concerned about this?

[00:02:08]>> Mate, people with Australia's flood and drought, you know, so farmers have been used to this sort of stuff for decades, of course, but you know, it's what happens from one extreme to the other. I want to show you some pictures if I can.

[00:02:17]We're just going to look around here and and this is all sand and silt that's really starting to This came through flood 16 and 1/2 m a month ago. This river that's about 80 m wide was 17 km.

[00:02:30]It's so ridiculous how much flood comes, but then you go from one extreme to the other is next level. So, that's so it sort of tells you and the farmers know that. They're 1 minute they've got, you know, 4 m of water over their pitching on a flood plain, so next minute, you know, they're not sitting in there, they've got cracked ground that looks like someone's heel who lives in the bush. It's going to be like that, of course, as we move in the next the next few months. Come summer, that's when things will start to ramp up. High risk of fire damage, particularly in that southern parts and southwestern and southeastern parts of Australia, and to the far north drier drought conditions.

[00:03:03]But, look, fortunately, there's a lot of water that's been on the land over the past few months, so that will last a little bit longer, but once those drier conditions come through there, >> It looks great where you are as well.

[00:03:12]Thanks for joining us.

[00:03:13]>> Yeah.

[00:03:13]>> 30 It looks beautiful where you are as well. Thanks for joining us. Appreciate you taking 5 minutes out.