The east coast has withstood two, and is now bearing the brunt of a third, La Niña. Photo: Shutterstock/Silken Photography
Flooding, record levels of rain and a third consecutive La Niña have inundated eastern Australia. These experts from UNSW Science, Engineering and Medicine & Health are available for comment on the floods.
Dr Nina Ridder is a research associate in the UNSW Climate Change Research Centre. Dr Ridder can comment on the general atmospheric conditions during a La Niña, and how it is related to rainfall and flood risk in Australia. She has unique insights into the risk of preconditioned events caused by rain on saturated soils and the occurrence of multiple heavy rainfall events affecting the same region in close succession leading to floods that would not have occurred if the region hadn’t experienced above normal rainfall in previous seasons as seen in NSW in March and July this year. Contact: Jesse Hawley, UNSW Science Press Officer, [email protected], 0422 537 392.
Dr Agus Santoso is a senior research associate at UNSW Science’s Climate Change Research Centre. Dr Santoso can discuss why La Niña happens, how it impacts on climate, e.g., this recent wet condition; and what the future holds for La Nina and El Nino. Contact: Jesse Hawley, [email protected], 0422 537 392.
Dr Andrea Taschetto is a climate scientist and Associate Professor at UNSW Science’s Climate Change Research Centre, and a chief investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes. Dr Taschetto can discuss climate variability related to the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans (for example ENSO and IOD). Contact: Jesse Hawley, [email protected], 0422 537 392.
Professor Ashish Sharma from the UNSW School of Civil and Environmental Engineering can comment on the flooding implications of La Niña. He is an engineering hydrologist whose research is focused on the impact of climate change and variability on hydrological practice, developing hydrological models, designing flood estimation and water resources management. Contact: [email protected].
Dr Amy Peden is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Fellow within the School of Population Health and a leading expert in drowning prevention including flood epidemiology, risk, prevention and response. Contact: [email protected], 0432 644 318.
