El Niño drenches WA's driest region with record rainfall

Leonora in Western Australia's Goldfields received 58.8mm of rain in 24 hours, its wettest day in nine years and heaviest spring rainfall ever recorded.

Why it mattersThe record rainfall shows how climate patterns like El Niño can completely reverse dry weather expectations in Australia's interior.

AustraliaInland Western Australia sees rare relief from drought conditions, though most of the country is forecast for below-average rainfall this September.

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File image: Volunteer Marine Rescue station on Australian coastal jetty

✓ The Guardian AustraliaPlanet & Environment

267,000 homes at risk as Australia braces for coastal flooding surge

Climate Council forecasts rising seas will damage more than 267,000 coastal properties and cost $855 billion in economic losses by 2100.

Why it mattersCoastal property values and agricultural productivity are under genuine long-term threat, reshaping investment, insurance, and food supply across Australia.