Huge waves in the atmosphere dump extreme rain on northern Australia

By Fadhlil Rizki Muhammad, Graduate Researcher, The University of Melbourne
Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne
Claire Vincent, Senior Lecturer in Atmospheric Science, The University of Melbourne
Sandro W. Lubis, Earth Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

In 2023, almost a year’s worth of rain fell over ten days in parts of northwestern Australia, leading to catastrophic flooding in the town of Fitzroy Crossing and surrounds. The rainfall was linked to a tropical cyclone, but there were also lesser-known forces at work: huge, planet-scale oscillations called atmospheric waves which bring heavy rain to northern Australia.

While climate drivers such as El Niño and La Niña are becoming more familiar to many Australians, fewer understand the significant role played by atmospheric waves, which are like vast musical notes resonating around…

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