Lunchtime barbecues and beach plans on Christmas Day are looking good to go ahead, with sunshine and warm temperatures expected to hold out until the late afternoon. 

After a year of driving global temperatures to unprecedented warmth, the giant El Nino weather event in the Pacific is officially over, raising hopes that drought-hit regions may be in for some relief in Australia and elsewhere.

Antonio Guterres says the “naive optimism” of the Glasgow talks is colliding with a failure to deal with climate, as scientists grapple with global heat waves.

Storms hit the Sydney region, bringing hail and damaging winds.

Forecasters predict heavy rain, strong winds and increasing swells.

If you woke to the sound of thunder early this morning be prepared for it to continue throughout the day.

What weather will Santa deliver for Christmas Day?

This weekend is set to be another warm, muggy one - and next weekend may be much the same.

A high-pressure system "as big as Australia" will bring Melbourne's warmest patch of weather in more than five months, while most of the country is likely to go for a week with little rain.

A "strangely warm southerly" is sweeping across Sydney today with little relief from the heat at beaches in NSW and Queensland because of Cyclone Winston causing large, dangerous and powerful surf.