Website and Data Updates
Users should be aware that updates are occasionally made to the Queensland Future Climate Website. This may include
The addition of new features to existing tools;
The release of new tools and webpages and;
Minor changes to the website and underlying data as a result of error detection.
Updates
Significant updates to the Queensland Future Climate Website are listed below:
Mid-2024
Release of CMIP6 Queensland Future Climate Dashboard and Regional Explorer. Features include:
- Ensemble of 15 CMIP6 downscaled regional climate models;
- 3 Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) emission scenarios;
- New regional map types (e.g. National Resource Management Regions) and the inclusion of a ‘Locations’ option (including cities, towns and National parks);
- An option to select both SPI and SPEI-based drought and wetness indices;
- Inclusion of FAO Reference Evapotranspiration as a variable under the Mean Climate theme;
- Inclusion of switch to alternate between the CMIP6 and CMIP5 versions of the Dashboard and Regional Explorer;
- Inclusion of humid heatwaves climate theme (instead of the dry heatwaves presented in CMIP5 products);
- Updated user guide;
- New and updated factsheets.
January 2024
Release of Regional Explorer and updated Future Climate Website. Features include:
- Fire weather indices based on the Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI);
- A Regional Explorer that provides an easy way to access summary information for selected regions as tables or timeseries charts;
- An online user guide;
- A series of factsheets with more detailed information on key concepts.
January 2024
Release of CMIP6 downscaled projections for Australia.
August 2022
Creation of the Climate Projections and Services Team.
January 2022
Commencement of downscaling of CMIP6 project.
June 2021
Release of Tropical Cyclone Hazard Dashboard and Severe Wind Hazard Assessment
- Interactive visualisation platform providing regionalized tropical cyclone wind speed information for locations throughout Queensland.
May 2019
Release of 'Understanding the Data', 'Heatwaves' and 'Water Security' case studies and the State Heatwave Risk Assessment.
July 2018
Release of CMIP5 downscaled simulations for Queensland and release of the Queensland Future Climate website and Dashboard. Features include:
- A visualisation platform composed of drop-down menus, maps, plots and tables;
- 6 climate themes;
- Ensemble of 11 CMIP5 downscaled regional climate models;
- 2 Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) emission scenarios;
- 42 variables;
- Calendar seasons as well as wet, dry and annual periods;
- Range of time-slices and regions to select.
Aug 2017
Creation of the Queensland Future Climate Science Program.
Modifications and Known Issues
Modifications to the existing website and data presented, as well as known data issues, are listed below:
September 2024:
Unusual patterns showing consistent decreasing windspeeds across all emission scenarios and future timeslices can be observed for parts of Queensland on the CMIP6 Future Climate Dashboard and Regional Explorer.
The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) include changes to land use as well as emissions of greenhouse gases. The decreases in wind speed in these locations are due to changing land use and associated increases in the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and surface roughness, rather than a result of emissions of greenhouse gases.
July 2024:
An error was detected in the calculation method for the Cold Spell and Warm Spell Duration indices under the Extreme Temperature theme on the CMIP5 Future Climate Dashboard and Regional Explorer. Erroneous data has been removed from the CMIP5 Dashboard and Regional Explorer while the Climate Projections and Services team explore options to reprocess these indices. Note that these indices are correct on the CMIP6 Dashboard and Regional Explorer.
