Australia's most devastating weather events

Aussies know a thing or two about extreme weather. Throughout the years, the country has seen its fair share of devastating weather events. From extreme heatwaves and drought, to storms and flooding, Australia has been battered by a number of weather phenomena. What's more, the consequences have been catastrophic on some occasions. People have lost their homes and their lives, animals have perished, crops have been lost, and nature has been destroyed.

In this gallery, we list the most devastating weather events to ever hit Australia. Click through and get to know more about them.

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Summer 2018-19 - Records were broken during the 2018-19 heatwave. This was the hottest summer on record in Australia. Port Augusta in South Australia, for instance, went up to 48.9 °C (120.02 °F).

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2018 Broome flood - In January and February 2018, the Broome area in Kimberley, Western Australia, received two years worth of rain in just two months.

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2018 Broome flood - Cyclone Joyce, followed by Cyclone Kelvin, brought 1,502 mm (59 in) of rainfall to the region. The Great Northern Highway was cut, some areas became isolated due to flooding, and residents had to be evacuated.

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2017 Tropical Cyclone Debbie - From March 23 to April 7, 2017, Debbie caused widespread devastation to Queensland and parts of New South Wales.

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2017 Tropical Cyclone Debbie - There were 14 fatalities, and the estimated damage was AU$3.96 billion.

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2014 Brisbane hailstorm - On November 27, 2014, Queensland's capital city was hit by a severe hailstorm. Damages amounted to AU$1.1 billion, and around 40 people were injured.

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2013 Tropical Cyclone Oswald - Cyclone Oswald swept over parts of Queensland and New South Wales from January 17 to 28 in 2013.

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2013 Tropical Cyclone Oswald - The estimated damage caused by severe storms and flooding amounted to AU$2.52 billion.

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2011 Cyclone Yasi - On February 3, 2011, Yasi hit the Australian coastline, bringing severe weather and widespread destruction.

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2011 Cyclone Yasi - Tropical Cyclone Yasi was the biggest storm in Queensland's history, and the costliest tropical cyclone in the Australian region basin, at around AU$5.23 billion in damages.

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2011 Wollongong floods - A storm cell brought torrential rains, resulting in a number of floods throughout Wollongong and the Illawarra regions of New South Wales.

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2011 Wollongong floods - The State Emergency Service had to rescue sixteen pre-school children at Jamberoo. The Princes Highway, the Southern Freeway, and the Illawarra Highway were closed.

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2010–2011 Queensland floods - From November 2010 to January 2011, a series of floods hit Queensland, and the consequences were devastating.

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2010–2011 Queensland floods - Over 200,000 people and at least 90 towns were affected by the floods, with an estimated damage of AU$2.38 billion. As of March 2012, 33 were confirmed dead.

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2010 Queensland floods - But this was not the first time within the year that Queensland got flooded. South western and central parts of Queensland, particularly, were earlier hit by heavy rain.

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2010 Victorian storms - On March 6 and 7, 2010, a number of storms passed through Victoria. The state was hit by heavy rain and hail, which led to flash flooding in many areas, including Melbourne.

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2010 Victorian storms - Many buildings and areas in Melbourne were evacuated, including Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations, malls, and even the Docklands Stadium.

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2010 Gascoyne River flood - Between December 16 and 21, 2010, the Gascoyne River in Western Australia flooded like never before.

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2010 Gascoyne River flood - Over 6,000% of the average rainfall caused flooding that resulted in an estimated AU$100 million in damages. Entire homes were washed away, and thousands of cattle perished.

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2009 Australian dust storm - From September 22 to 24, 2009, New South Wales and Queensland were hit by a severe dust storm.

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2009 Australian dust storm - The dust plume, measuring over 500 km (310 mi) in width and 1,000 km (620 mi) in length, could be seen from space.

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2009 Black Saturday bushfires - From February 7 to March 14, 2009, a number of bushfires devastated 450,000 hectares (1,100,000 acres) in Victoria.

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2009 Black Saturday bushfires - There were 7,562 people displaced, and 180 lost their lives as a result of the 400 individual fires.

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2005 Melbourne thunderstorm - Between February 2 and 3, 2005, a storm brought a record-breaking 120 mm (about 4.7 inches) of rain to Melbourne.

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2005 Melbourne thunderstorm - All areas of Melbourne, as well as parts of eastern Victoria and the Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula, were affected by the rainfall.

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1999 Sydney hailstorm - On April 14, 1999, an estimated 500,000 tonnes of hailstones the size of cricket balls caused severe damage on the east coast of New South Wales.

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1999 Sydney hailstorm - The hailstones, measuring up to 7 cm (2.8 in) in diameter, caused an estimated damage of AU$2.3 billion. Lightning claimed one person’s life, and approximately 50 people were injured.

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1989 Newcastle earthquake - On December 28, 1989, an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale hit Newcastle in New South Wales.

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1989 Newcastle earthquake - Sadly, 13 people died and 160 were injured. The damage was estimated at AU$4 billion.

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1983 Melbourne dust storm - On February 8, 1983, soil, dust and sand from Central and Southeastern Australia were carried by strong winds and hit most of Victoria.

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1983 Melbourne dust storm - The dust storm was one of the consequences of the 1982-83 drought caused by the El Niño weather cycle.

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1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires - Just eight days later, on February 16, 1983, a series of bushfires affected south-eastern Australia. This was the deadliest bushfire in Australian history, until the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009.

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1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires - Over 3,700 buildings were destroyed or damaged, thousands of livestock were affected, and 2,545 people lost their homes. What's more, 47 people died in Victoria, and another 28 perished in South Australia.

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1974 Brisbane flood -

Three weeks of non-stop rain led to flooding of the Brisbane River between January 24 and 31, 1974. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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1974 Brisbane flood - The result was that 300 people were injured and 16 lost their lives. Additionally, 8,000 homes were destroyed and the flood saw an estimated AU$980 million in damages.

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1918 Brighton tornado - On February 2, 1918, three tornadoes struck Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne. Rated F3 on the Fujita scale, the Brighton tornado is the strongest storm recorded in Melbourne to this day.

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1897 Darwin cyclone - Between January 6 and 7, 1887, a tropical cyclone caused major destruction in Darwin in the Northern Territory. In total, 28 fatalities were recorded.

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1893 Brisbane flood - The event was not just one, but three floods that took place in February 1893, caused by the overflowing of the Brisbane River.

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Droughts - Australia has endured a number of severe droughts throughout the years. People, animals, and crops have suffered the devastating consequences of lack of water.

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Droughts - The most prominent were the Federation Drought (1895–1903), the Second World War Drought (1939–45), and the Millennium Drought (2001–09).

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Heatwaves - Heatwaves are a common phenomenon in Australia. There was a devastating one across the country between 1895 and 1896, which killed 435 people.

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Heatwaves -

More recently, 432 people lost their lives during the 2009 heatwave in Victoria and South Australia.

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Angry Summer (or Extreme Summer) - Indeed, 123 weather records were broken during the summer of 2012–2013. What's more, all these records were broken over a period of just 90 days.

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Angry Summer (or Extreme Summer) -

The extreme temperatures contributed to a number of bushfires.

Now that you're here, get to know more about Australia's worst disasters of the last 20 years.

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Australia's most devastating weather events -