Dozens of birds have died and others are seriously ill following an outbreak of botulism in several lakes across the Perth area.

NSW is bracing for the potential of major floods and record rainfall on Thursday, with large parts of the state “in the firing line” of dangerous weather. 

Early risers are used to the occasional late night straggler loitering on Sydney's Coogee Beach at sunrise. But they are never normally this wild.

Concerns about the health risks of cooking with gas indoors prompted our environment reporter to trial a pollution monitor in her home.

Chris Bowen met with his China counterpart in Egypt for the first ministerial level meeting between Australia and China in five years. Negotiations dragged into the night.

Some describe the eastern koel as “demonic birds” for their constant mating calls. Others say the native cuckoos with beautiful plumage are “absolute magic”.

Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to batter most of the NSW coast for most of the working week as a low-pressure system that delivered a weekend drenching continues to linger off the state's coast.

The people most affected by natural disasters in Australia are represented by the people who are most likely to deny that human activity has changed our climate.

A wildflower superbloom is underway in a Californian desert after seven inches of winter rain.

"It is altering the structure and function of natural ecosystems, and affecting heritage, economic activity and human wellbeing."

Australia has just experienced the hottest March on record, capping off the hottest first quarter of the year.

Our best hope may be the weather - but let's not forget about the bigger picture.

Tasmanian devils with tumours the size of golf balls have had their cancerous growths disappear, after scientists successfully trialled a new way to kick-start the animals' immune system.

So how did we get here?

NSW should place a cap on the amount of thermal coal it can mine and plan an orderly phase-out of the industry within a decade to do its bit to avoid catastrophic climate change, NSW Greens say.