Australia under siege of winter: heaviest snowfall in decades

Australia is facing one of the most severe episodes of extreme weather in decades. Heavy snowfall, flooding and violent gusts of wind have hit the states of New South Wales and Queensland in particular, leaving behind chaos, significant property damage and thousands of people without power. According to Reuters, Australian authorities said that the layer of snow deposited in the north of New South Wales is the heaviest in almost 40 years, while for parts of Queensland, the event is a first in the last decade.

• Historic cold front brings up to 40 centimetres of snow

A cold front has moved through northern New South Wales, bringing heavy snowfall, with up to 40 centimetres of snowfall, the most since the mid-1980s, according to meteorologist Miriam Bradbury of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

For the first time in a decade, snow has also fallen in parts of Queensland, a state known more for its subtropical climate than for its severe winters. "The sheer volume of snow and the geographical extent of the phenomenon are what make this episode truly unusual,” Bradbury said.

• Weather increasingly unpredictable: climate change increases volatility

Although historical records show that such episodes are not completely unprecedented, weather volatility has increased significantly in recent years, experts say.bb"Climate change is making such events more intense and harder to predict," added the Australian meteorologist, emphasizing that the rapid alternation between drought, floods and snowfall is a clear sign of regional climate instability.

• Emergency situations and chain interventions

The New South Wales state emergency service reported more than 1,450 intervention requests, following snowfall and storms over the weekend. More than 100 vehicles were stranded on roads due to the thick layer of snow, and several buildings were damaged by wind and precipitation. Tens of thousands of homes were left without power overnight, the state television Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) announced.

• A wake-up call for the future

The extreme weather events that have hit eastern Australia are a reminder of the fragility of infrastructure in the face of climate change and the need for adaptation. The combination of historic snowfall, flash floods and massive power outages suggests an increase in climate risks even in areas considered meteorologically stable or predictable. Against the backdrop of these events, discussions about community resilience, critical infrastructure and emergency plans are returning to the forefront of public debate, in an Australia already marked by years of bushfires, drought and extreme events.