Sydney and Melbourne will likely be exposed to more intense hail storms, tropical cyclones will track further south and bushfire risks will increase in most of Australia as the climate warms, new research shows.
The modelling based on a 3 degree temperature rise is contained in a severe weather report to be released on Friday by IAG, the country's largest general insurer, and the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research.
"Climate change is not just about the future," the report states. "There is already solid evidence that there have been measurable changes to weather and climate extremes with the [1 degree of] warming to date."