The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and CSIRO play an important role in monitoring, analysing and communicating observed and future changes in Australia's climate
They recently released the sixth biennial "State of the Climate" report that draws on latest research, observations, analyses and projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia's climate.
The report helps to generate a better understanding of climate in Australia and informs economic, environmental and social decision-making by governments, industries and communities.
It paints a consistent picture of ongoing, long-term climate change interacting with underlying natural variability.
The report said Australia needs to plan for, and adapt to, the changing nature of climate risk now and in the decades ahead.
Part of this is reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, which will lead to less warming and fewer impacts in the future.
The report showed Australia's climate has warmed on average by 1.44°C (pus or minus 0.24°C) since national records began in 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.
There has been about a 16 per cent drop in April to October rainfall in the south west of Australia since 1970.
Across the same region, May to July rainfall has had the biggest decline - by about 20 per cent since 1970.
In the south east of Australia, there has been a drop of about 12 per cent in April to October rainfall since the late 1990s.
There has been a decrease in streamflow at the majority of streamflow gauges across southern Australia since 1975.
Rainfall and streamflow have increased across parts of northern Australia since the 1970s.
There has been an increase in extreme fire weather, and in the length of the fire season, across large parts of the country since the 1950s - especially in southern Australia.
There have been fewer tropical cyclones observed in the Australian region since 1982.
Oceans around Australia are acidifying and have warmed by about 1°C since 1910. This has contributed to longer and more frequent marine heatwaves.
Sea levels are rising around Australia, including more frequent extremes, and this is increasing the risk of inundation and damage to coastal infrastructure and communities.
The "State of the Climate" report outlines likely ongoing changes in Australia's climate in coming decades.
These are projected to include continued increases in air temperatures, more heat extremes and fewer cold extremes.
There is likely to be a continued reduction in cool season rainfall across many regions of southern and eastern Australia, which could increase the amount of time in drought and occurrence of more intense, short duration heavy rainfall events.
The report said there may be more dangerous fire weather days and a longer fire season for southern and eastern Australia, and further sea level rise and continued warming and acidification of the oceans around Australia.
