Extreme weather events are topping the news in the new year, with mudslides in California, wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma, and soaring temperatures near Sydney, Australia. “Scorching Winds Fan Raging Fires,” read the headline on an Agence France-Presse story about the conditions in Sydney, where temperatures on New Year’s Day were the hottest on record.

Near Sydney, strong winds fueled wildfires that burned thousands of acres of forest and several homes. Temperatures hit 111 degrees Fahrenheit, and a highland area experienced temperatures 50 degrees higher than normal.

In northern California, meanwhile, the Russian River flooding continued, and more rain left houses and farms submerged. Residents in some areas took to canoes, according to the AP, while up to nine inches of rain fell in 24 hours. Mudslides caused by creeks overflowing blocked major roads over the holiday weekend.

And in the south central U.S., wildfires continued to rage in Texas and Oklahoma, where high winds and drought conditions created the perfect combination for flames that burned outside Dallas and Oklahoma City. In Oklahoma, 250,000 acres have burned over the last month.

There is no indication – and indeed, no way to demonstrate – that any of these events is connected to climate change. But they may be a sign of things to come: scientists predict that a changing climate, caused in part by increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, will lead to a rise in extreme weather events such as drought and flooding.

Photo credit: NOAA