News Ticker
Bushfire warning
An emergency bushfire warning is in place for Mariginiup, north of Perth. Keep up to date with ABC Emergency
Tom Saunders
Tom Saunders is a Meteorologist with the ABC in NSW. He presents the weather in the 7PM TV news bulletin and contributes to online, radio and the News Channel. Tom began his career as an operational forecaster after studying atmospheric science at Macquarie University before taking a broadcast meteorology role with The Weather Channel. Tom has forecast and reported on weather events across Australia and globally for two decades while also providing commentary on interannual variability and climate change.
Latest by Tom Saunders
Major storm event on the horizon across Australia as El Niño takes a raincheck
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
After a near rainless September and October, and the prospect of the driest spring on record, November serves up a pleasant surprise: rain.
Updated
El Niño is laying the foundations for unprecedented global temperatures next year
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
The current El Niño phase of the Pacific Ocean is forecast to peak during the coming months as one of the strongest on record, laying the platform for unprecedented global temperatures through 2024.
Updated
Pat Cummins's men face possible World Cup elimination from Indian tropical storm
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
A tropical storm currently brewing in the Bay of Bengal has the potential to interrupt Australia's semifinal at Eden Gardens, potentially gifting South Africa their first ever World Cup final appearance.
Updated
After the driest September-October on record, much of Australia to cop severe thunderstorm activity
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders and weather reporter Tyne Logan
Some of the storm activity has the potential to become severe, carrying the risk of gusty winds, heavy rain and hail.
Updated
Week-long spell of rain and storms for eastern states as north and west swelter
By ABC Meteorologist Tom Saunders
There has been a marked shift in the weather pattern across eastern Australia during the past 48 hours. The result will be a week-long spell of showers and thunderstorms from tropical Queensland to eastern Victoria.
The real reason hot weather leads to bushfires
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
An increase of 10 to 20 degrees Celsius in the air temperature from one day to the next can play a critical role in determining a fire threat.
Updated
Northern NSW breathes a sigh of relief as heavy rain soaks fire grounds and brings some drought relief
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
Up to 100 millimetres of rain has fallen over a wide range of northern New South Wales reducing the number of fires that have been burning for days.
Heavy rain to provide fire threat relief, but not before another hot weather spell in NSW
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
Temperatures will climb early this week, before widespread rain in NSW helps neutralise fire threats in the state.
Updated
Surprise snow in NSW towns while fire threat escalates for state's north
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders and Adriane Reardon
Residents of south-east NSW were treated to a surprise mid-spring snowfall on Monday, while in the north searing heat sent temperatures to their highest October levels in more than a decade.
Updated
Heat in the west and snow in the south-east — here's what is driving Australia's stark weather contrasts
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
A quick glance at the national forecast this weekend and you could be forgiven for questioning what season we're in. ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders explains what is driving the country's weather disparity.
Updated
Southern states sizzle as Indian Ocean climate driver nears record strength
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
One of the main drivers behind Australia's year to year rainfall and temperature variability is approaching levels not seen since the summer of 2019.
Updated
Follow-up rain unlikely after wet week as El Niño and positive IOD intensify
By Tom Saunders
One wet day does not make a season, and despite this week's soaking across large parts of Victoria and NSW, this spring is still likely to become one of Australia's hottest and driest on record.
Air and ocean temperatures soar to unprecedented records
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
New data shows the Earth's average surface air temperature was 0.5C above the previous warmest September on record, in 2020.
Updated
The heat won't stay: Temperatures to drop by as much as 20 degrees in 48 hours
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
The frequent spells of early spring heat resulted in Australia's third-warmest September on record since 1910, with a national temperature 2.4C above the climatological average.
Updated
It's hot again — but a clash between Antarctica and the tropics is set to bring a drenching next week
By meteorologist Tom Saunders
This September will go down as the hottest and driest on record in parts of Australia. But after another hot weekend will come a significant drenching, explains ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders.
Updated
The world's deadliest storm to strike this year was a monster — and the 'medicane' could be getting worse
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders, Cherine Yazbeck in Beirut, and Riley Stuart in London
A hybrid weather system, this "Mediterranean hurricane" is already responsible for more than 11,000 deaths and massive damage bills — this is how it forms and why we could see them intensify in future.
'Heat engine' could deliver record-hot grand final weekend, and revive fire threat
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
Brisbane teams are seemingly bringing the Queensland heat south for the football finals this weekend as another burst of unseasonable temperatures engulfs Australia.
Updated
El Niño summers show no swing towards wet or dry for majority of Australia
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
The ABC's national weather wrap is back, as our meteorologist Tom Saunders breaks down why the declaration of El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole doesn't guarantee a dry summer.
Firefighters battle flames fuelled by high temperatures and strong winds from Tasmania to Queensland
By Sarah Gerathy, Madeline Thompson, Adam Holmes, and Tom Saunders
Firefighters are eagerly awaiting a cold change as high temperatures and strong winds hit the east coast.
Updated
'Extreme' fire danger warnings for Sydney, Hunter regions as record hot weather persists
By Xanthe Gregory, Carly Cook and ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
A day after El Niño was formally declared by the Bureau of Meteorology, fire bans are in place as hot and dry conditions are forecast across New South Wales.
Updated
Bureau of Meteorology formally declares El Niño weather event — your questions answered
By Tom Williams, Brianna Morris-Grant and ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
The Bureau of Meteorology formally declares an El Niño weather event, months after the World Meteorological Organization announced the same.
Updated
A cool change is coming to south-eastern Australia — but it will get even hotter first
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
A record spell of September heat is baking southern states, with temperatures as much as 18 degrees Celsius above average.
Updated
Just two weeks out of winter and it's already feeling like summer. Here's why
By meteorologist Tom Saunders
It's already feeling like summer. Temperatures in central and south-eastern Australia have climbed to 10 degrees Celsius above average and more hot weather is on the way.
Updated
Global temperatures exceed 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for first time
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
Data released from Copernicus, a branch of the European Union Space Programme, shows August was 1.59C warmer than 1850–1900 levels, following a 1.6C increase in July.
Updated
Hail, snow and gales to replace spring heat in a battle of the seasons
By ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders
It was a sunny start to the week but from today a polar air mass will sweep over south-east Australia, causing temperatures to plummet by as much as 15 degrees Celsius in 24 hours.
Updated