Facts and Figures

• On average, drought occurs 3 out of every 10 years in Australia, the country's most costly natural hazard.

• South-eastern Australia is prone to some of the most severe and frequent wildfires in the world.

• Heatwaves have caused more deaths in Australia than any other natural hazard (except disease) during the 20th century. The worst recorded heatwave (in 1939, in southern Australia) killed 438 people.

• Severe storms (including hail and tornadoes) are more frequent and costly (in insurance terms) than any other natural hazard in Australia.

• Floods are frequent occurrences in Australia and can be of sizeable magnitude, e.g. the Great Floods of 1990 in southern Queensland, northern New South Wales and south-east Victoria covered an area larger than Germany.

• Tropical cyclones cross the northern, north-eastern and north-western Australian coastline on average 6 times a year.

• An earthquake of Richter magnitude 5.5 occurs on average every 15 months in Australia.

• Landslides are responsible for about five times as many deaths as earthquakes, but have caused only 5% as much economic damage.

• In Australia since the 1960s, there has been a significant increase in the total number of disaster events, notably severe storms and floods. Generally the frequency of extreme hot events (e.g. hot days, hot nights, heatwaves) has increased in Australia since 1957, and the frequency of extreme cold events (e.g. cold days, frosts, cold snaps) has decreased.

• Most climate models indicate that in many places global warming is likely to increase the frequency and duration of extreme events such as heavy rains, droughts and floods.

• Summer heatwaves are likely to become more common in Europe and by 2030, most of Australia may have 10-50% more summer days over 35°C, and 20-80% fewer frosts.

• Tropical cyclone frequency may change in some regions and peak winds and rainfall rates may increase. Tropical cyclone rainfall rates near Australia may increase, but there is uncertainty about location changes.

• Flooding is, overall, Australia's costliest form of natural disaster with average losses estimated at $400 million a year.

• Heatwaves have accounted for more deaths in Australia than any other climatic event. Australia's longest heatwave was in Marble Bar, Western Australia - 160 days from 31 October 1923, hotter than 37.8C. The worst heatwave was recorded in January 1939, across southern Australia causing 438 deaths.

• The highest recorded temperature in Australia was in Oodnadatta, South Australia, 2 January 1960, 50.7C; the lowest was in Charlotte Pass, New South Wales, 29 June 1994, -23C. (p.12)
The Australian record for rainfall is at Bellenden Ker, Queensland, January 1979, where 1947mm fell in 48 hours.

• Australia's worst tornado was at Bucca, Queensland, 29 November 1992, Fujita level 4. )

• Australia's worst flood occurred in NSW, February 1955 in the Hunter, Macquarie, Gwydir and Namoi valleys - 25 lives were lost, more than 10,000 houses flooded, 15,500 evacuated.

• Australia's deadliest flood was in Clermont, Queensland, December 1916, causing 61 deaths.

• Australia's deadliest fire was Ash Wednesday, February 1983 – 75 deaths, 2460 buildings lost.

• The largest area in Australia burned by bushfire was in Central Australia, 1974-75 – 117 million hectares, equivalent to 15% of the continent.

• The worst period for dust storms in Australia's recorded history was the summer of 1944-45, when numerous storms blanketed extensive areas of south-east Australia with dust. Lights were needed during daytime in the capital cities.

• During 2005 the world has experienced some of the worst natural disasters ever. The Asian tsunami killed a staggering 224,495 people. Hurricanes Stan (in Central America) and Katrina (United States) killed much fewer people but their floods and mudslides affected around 2 million and 500,000 people respectively.

• The average annual number of disasters reported during 2000-04 was 55% higher than during 1995-99. (p.20)

• With 719 reported disasters, 2004 was the third worst year of the decade (1994-2004).

• During 2000-2004 disasters affected one-third more people than during 1995-1999. Over the same period the numbers of people affected by disasters in countries of low human development doubled, with Africa showing the greatest increase.

• The past 10 years, with the exception of 1996, were the earth's warmest on record.

• The Munich Re Foundation said worldwide economic losses due to weather-related natural disasters set a new record in 2005, at more than $US200 billion.

• The earthquake and tsunami on 26 December 2004 killed more than 231,000 people; 1.5 million were displaced; 308,000 houses and 103,829 boats were destroyed; the ratio of women and children to men killed was 3:1.

• More than twice as many people died in natural disasters in 2004 as in 2003, even though the number of disasters was no greater than the average of the previous 10 years. Much of the destruction can be directly linked to the impact of global warming.

• The economic loss from the Asian tsunami is estimated at almost $13 billion, with insurance losses of $2.5 billion.