When extreme rainfall combines with other hazards, such as strong winds, the impacts can be devastating. This project helps identify and map these high-impact events to support better planning and resilience.
Understanding extreme rainfall and its impacts
Extreme rainfall can have greater impacts when it is part of a compound event. When multiple heavy rainfall events occur in quick succession, river levels are higher; when extreme rainfall follows drought, it can be accompanied by debris flows, landslides and water quality impacts. And when extreme rain co-occurs with extreme wind, the risk of water ingress, treefalls and power interruptions are increased. Working with stakeholders, this project will build better indices of impactful compound extreme rainfall, to help understand when, where, and how they occur.
This project will work with stakeholders to identify the most critical extreme rainfall events and develop new ways to measure and analyse them. By focusing on real-world case studies, researchers will gain insights into the factors that make these events particularly damaging, such as their frequency, duration, and interactions with other hazards.
Delivering tools for better risk assessment
Through case studies, the project will create innovative methods to define and map hazardous rainfall events, such as drought-breaking rains, clusters of extreme rainfall, and extreme wet/windy conditions. These new approaches will help decision makers better understand how these events are changing and where they are most likely to occur in the future. The project will also provide indices to assess high-impact rainfall hazards, improving climate risk assessments and emergency planning. Stakeholders, including state government agencies and private industry bodies, will be involved in co-designing the research, ensuring that the findings directly support decision making and preparedness efforts.
Want to know more?
Please contact the project lead, Acacia Pepler, Bureau of Meteorology.
Or email us at info@nesp2climate.com.au.