Checking weather has become daily occurrence for Aussies and increasingly volatile weather could be why

A surprising new trend among Aussies has been revealed and extreme weather across the country could be to blame.

A surprising habit Australians have picked up has been revealed in new research, as a growing number of people fear natural disasters are becoming more frequent.

The Summer 2023-24 NRMA Insurance Wild Weather Tracker found that 73 per cent of respondents checked the weather forecast one or more times a day, with 90 per cent of Australians aged over 65 checking the forecast daily.

The trend comes as three in four respondents said they were now concerned that natural disasters, including storms, floods and bushfires were becoming more frequent, an 11 per cent increase from autumn 2021.

New data has revealed that one in three respondents fear natural disasters are becoming more frequent. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

However, the claims research revealed only 40 per cent of Australians prepared their households for extreme weather during the last summer season, and 37 per cent of those households said the extreme weather was not what they were expecting or hand prepared for.

The research found one in three Australians said the main reason they were not better prepared for extreme weather was the thought that “it won’t happen to them” despite 47 per cent of all Australians experiencing wild weather throughout the summer season.

NRMA Insurance executive manager Natalie Major said the significant rate of people keeping an eye on the weather forecast was not “translating into action”, as people failed to adequately prepare their homes and families for extreme weather.

“The key message is, it’s really important that everyone understands that extreme weather is possible at any time, whether that is cyclones, storms or bushfires,” she said.

The NRMA received 19,600 wild weather claims following a summer of wild weather across the country. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

“We need to stay alert of the potential risks and take action to prepare.”

Ms Major’s warning comes as the NRMA received 19,600 wild weather claims across the summer period, with storms and hail accounting for the majority of those claims.

Ms Major said there were simple things Australians could do to better prepare for extreme weather conditions.

“You can protect your car by keeping it under cover when wild weather is predicted. You can trim overhead branches where they might impact your roof or clear your yard of any loose items, particularly to reduce the likelihood of them being blown around and causing damage,” Ms Major said.

“Another thing is to consider engaging a professional to do a roof assessment, making sure you don’t have any cracks, leaks or damage tiles that could be allowing water to enter your home during cold weather.”

The data comes as Australia has battled a series of natural disasters throughout the 2023-24 summer season, including bushfires and flooding in Victoria and cyclones that have impacted Queensland and NSW.

Originally published as Checking weather has become daily occurrence for Aussies and increasingly volatile weather could be why