This Month
Trump moves inauguration indoors due to freezing temperatures
The weather forecast for Washington predicts minus 7 degrees before wind chill at the time of the incoming president’s swearing-in.
- Tim Reid and Doina Chiacu
‘Unimaginable terror’: LA wildfires threaten Bel Air
Evacuation orders cover important cultural institutions, including the Getty Centre and the University of California, Los Angeles. The death toll now stands at 16.
- Updated
- Michelle Ma, John Gittelsohn and Amy Graff
The hottest year on record sparks fears of a ‘dangerous new era’
Temperatures broke another record in 2024 and experts warn this could bring faster wildfires, bigger storms and more extreme weather.
- David Gelles and Austyn Gaffney
Australian man dies after flames engulf Malibu home
British-born Australian citizen Rory Sykes, 32, died after flames engulfed his self-contained cottage on a family property in Mount Malibu.
- Suzanne Simonot
LA families return to charred homes as death toll rises to 11
Scores of residents have returned to their still smouldering neighbourhoods even as the threat of new fires persists.
- Manuel Valdes, Julie Watson, John Seewer and Heather Hollingsworth
Calmer winds help Los Angeles firefighters as death toll hits 10
While conditions improved, three major fires continue to burn in Los Angeles and San Diego residents were on edge.
- Jorge Garcia and Rollo Ross
‘There was nothing you could do’: The week fire swallowed Los Angeles
Like so much of California, Los Angeles knows fire. But this was a disaster ripped from a Hollywood film, a real-life nightmare playing out in America’s dream factory.
- Reis Thebault and Joshua Partlow
Death toll expected to rise as fires rage through Los Angeles
President Joe Biden has pledged federal aid for recovery efforts after wildfires killed at least five people and caused an estimated $92 billion in damages across Los Angeles.
- Reuters and AP
Oscar nominations delayed as stars lose homes to fires
The Academy Award nominations are also being delayed two days to January 19, with the voting window extended.
‘We lost everything’: How wildfires leave psychological scars
Researchers found that about 4 per cent of the people affected by a bushfire in Victoria, Australia, were still suffering distress a decade later.
- Emily Schmall and Katie Mogg
Landmarks from film and TV damaged by wildfires
The high school where Brian De Palma brought Stephen King’s Carrie to life, and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst have been damaged or destroyed.
- Lindsey Bahr
Largest LA blazes still burning out of control
Five people are confirmed dead, though the toll is expected to rise as cadaver dogs and search crew begin to search the rubble.
- Christopher Weber, Julie Watson and John Seewer
Two dead, thousands flee from uncontrolled LA area wildfires
Hurricane-force winds of as much as 138km/h have torn through the region, pushing flames through high-priced neighbourhoods.
- Wires
‘The worst is yet to come’. Los Angeles residents flee wildfires
Forecasters issue the most severe level of fire alert in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Malibu and the densely populated San Fernando Valley.
- Updated
- Andrew Buncombe
Fire risk escalates as ‘sticky’ heatwave hits NSW, Vic
Pockets of NSW and Victoria are set to experience severe conditions until late Sunday as temperatures crack 40 degrees.
- Rachael Ward and William Ton
Eastern states set for hot nights and a soggy rest of summer
Parts of Australia’s east coast will swelter in the tail end of the summer, and forecasters also predict above-average rainfall.
- Updated
- James Hall
December 2024
Iron ore faces ‘riot point’; Airliner crashes; Bushfire threat rises
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Fire threat rises amid worst conditions since 2019 Black Summer
Damaging winds are fanning extreme fire danger as hot and dry weather envelops large parts of Victoria, south-west NSW and much of eastern South Australia.
- William Ton and Samantha Lock
Taylor accuses Chalmers of stacking RBA board
Angus Taylor says he is concerned Jim Chalmers has made the wrong decision with his appointments; extreme summer heatwave to scorch four states. How the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Lucy Slade
November 2024
Make university free, but beware the professional student
Readers’ letters on the downside of fee-free uni; supermarket competition; the US election result; lessons for a future female US president; approvals for renewables; and the impact of extreme weather.