Increasing bouts of extreme weather caused by climate change have turbocharged the already high demand for engineers across Australia, the incoming head of engineering consulting firm Aurecon says.

Louise Adams, who will become chief executive of the firm in July, says more engineers than ever are needed as governments and companies adapt operations to hotter temperatures and wilder storms. These unpredictable weather events have already led to flash floods in Queensland and NSW and heatwaves across the heart of Australia during the summer months.