Rubrica

As I write, south-east Australia is experiencing an extraordinary heatwave. This is the second such heatwave for 2026. At the same time, a vicious polar vortex is monstering much of North America and Europe. While at this sweltering end of the world we’re enjoying photos of frozen rivers and huge snowdrifts, friends in Canada and the US are similarly enjoying pics of Australians trying to cool off under hoses. These conditions, while not unprecedented, are not normal. Yes, of course we’ve had heatwaves before, and the northern hemisphere has experienced big freezes before, but these conditions are coming more frequently and with greater intensity than ever before. This is not normal nor should it be. We can’t say we weren’t warned. Since the mid-1980s climate scientists have been warning us of climate change. The climate stats and data tell the story and we were warned in the 1990s that heatwaves would get hotter and more frequent, droughts will be longer and drier, floods ...

  The year is barely three weeks old but it seems like we’ve been here for months. If you’re feeling exhausted and in need of a holiday, you’re not alone. So far this year we have seen the USA invade Venezuela, devastating bushfires in Victoria, cyclone and floods in north Queensland, a rising tide of revolution in Iran, the announcement of a Royal Commission into the Bondi attack, parliament recalled to debate hate speech and gun laws, Australia retain the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket, and the Adelaide Writers’ Week implode. Suddenly the world seems to have moved into warp speed and we’re just hanging on and hoping it lands somewhere safe. It’s difficult to know where to start navigating this gridlock of events and, it being summer break and therefore our traditional season of beach, barbeques, beer and a breather from current affairs, we’re just not used to such a high octane start to a new year. Globally, the big question is will he, won’t he make a m...