Marine heatwaves (MHWs) can have devastating and lasting impacts on marine ecosystems. We investigated past MHW characteristics around 12 southwestern Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) using two observed sea surface temperature products and an ocean reanalysis product. PICTs are highly dependent on their marine resources for their livelihoods: a better understanding of MHW characteristics is needed for planning...

Reliable predictions of species responses to intensifying temperature extremes are crucial for managing climate change impacts. However, limited data of species' responses to heat stress across their distribution restricts prediction accuracy. Here we analyse three‐decades of kelp abundance observations in Australia, including cool to warm‐edge populations, relative to marine heatwaves (MHWs). As MHWs intensified, changes in k...

Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration as a result of climate change, and their biological impacts can in turn influence coastal communities. Despite advances in our knowledge of the physical drivers of marine heatwaves and their biological impacts, there has been limited work linking these extreme events to subsequent impacts on social systems. Describing risk to well‐being in coastal communitie...

As the ocean has warmed, in recent decades marine heatwaves (MHWs) have emerged as a major threat to marine ecosystems and ecosystem services, presenting challenges for management of marine fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and conservation, including for marine protected areas (MPAs). An MHW is a period of unusually high ocean temperatures, often defined as ocean temperatures that are warmer than 90% of the previous observatio...

As marine heatwaves (MHWs) become more intense and longer lasting due to global warming, understanding the drivers and impacts of these events is crucial for effective marine resource management. This study investigates the influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), Southern Annular Mode (SAM), Sub-Tropical Ridge High (STRH), and Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) on sea surface temperature (...

Marine heatwaves pose an increasing threat to fisheries and aquaculture around the world under climate change. However, the threat has not been estimated for the coming decades in a form that meets the needs of these industries. Tasmanian fisheries and aquaculture in southeast Australia have been severely impacted by marine heatwaves in recent years, especially the oyster, abalone, and salmon industries. In a series of semi-st...

The annual cycle of precipitation over most parts of Central America and southern Mexico is climatologically characterized by a robust bimodal distribution, normally termed as the midsummer drought (MSD), influencing a large range of agricultural economic and public insurances. Compared to studies focusing on mechanisms underpinning the MSD, less research has been undertaken related to its climatological signatures. This is du...

Pacific Island countries are vulnerable to climate variability and change. Developing strategies for adaptation and planning processes in the Pacific requires new knowledge and updated information on climate science. In this paper, we review key climatic processes and drivers that operate in the Pacific, how they may change in the future and what the impact of these changes might be. In particular, our emphasis is on the two m...

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are amongst the costliest natural hazards for southwest Pacific (SWP) Island nations. Extreme winds coupled with heavy rainfall and related coastal hazards, such as large waves and high seas, can have devastating consequences for life and property. Effects of anthropogenic climate change are likely to make TCs even more destructive in the SWP (as that observed particularly over Fiji) and elsewhere aroun...

The influence of the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) on surface air temperature over Iran is examined using daily data from meteorological stations from 1979 to 2015. Composites of daily surface air temperature anomalies are positive in MJO phases 1 and 8 and negative in MJO phases 3–4 with broader region positive tendencies also in MJO phases 2 and 7, and negative tendencies in MJO phases 5–6. This variability is associated w...

Southwest Pacific nations are among some of the worst impacted and most vulnerable globally in terms of tropical cyclone (TC)-induced flooding and accompanying risks. This study objectively quantifies the fractional contribution of TCs to extreme rainfall (hereafter, TC contributions) in the context of climate variability and change. We show that TC contributions to extreme rainfall are substantially enhanced during active pha...

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are prolonged extreme oceanic warm water events. Globally, the frequency and intensity of MHWs have been increasing in recent years, and it is expected that this trend is reflected in the Kerguelen Plateau region. MHWs can negatively impact the structure of marine biodiversity, marine ecosystems, and commercial fisheries. Considering that the KP is a hot-spot for marine biodiversity, characterizing MHWs...

Climate change poses significant emerging risks to biodiversity, ecosystem function and associated socioecological systems. Adaptation responses must be initiated in parallel with mitigation efforts, but resources are limited. As climate risks are not distributed equally across taxa, ecosystems and processes, strategic prioritization of research that addresses stakeholder‐relevant knowledge gaps will accelerate effective uptak...

The intra‐seasonal variation of precipitation over Iran is examined in terms of the combined effects of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), using daily observations during the wet season (October–May) from 1961 to 2015. We have examined how the probability of daily rainfall above the upper tercile varies across MJO phases during positive and negative IOD and E...

Previous studies have shown that the skill of seasonal forecasts of tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) tends to be poor. This paper investigates the forecast potential of TC formation, trajectories and points of landfall in the NIO region using an index of the stratospheric quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) as the predictor variable in a new statistical seasonal forecast model. Genesis was modelled...

The Central American mid‐summer drought (MSD) is the decline of precipitation during the middle of the wet season (July and August) over Central America and southern Mexico. It affects agriculture and favours the initiation of bushfires in Costa Rica's national parks, particularly during El Niño years. The MSD is a seasonal phenomenon that varies in intensity and timing inter‐annually. The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) has b...