Storm Season 2026: Is Your Australian Property Prepared?

2025-26 Australian Storm Season Outlook

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) seasonal outlook suggests a near-average cyclone season overall. With La Nina conditions confirmed by the US Climate Prediction Center and expected to persist into early 2026, Australians face increased risks of heavy rainfall, flooding, and storm-related power outages.

Recent seasons have shown that even near-average cyclone counts can produce high-impact events. For mainland Australia, this translates to heightened risks for coastal communities from the Kimberley to Far North Queensland, and increasingly for southeast Queensland and northern NSW.

The key message from emergency services is clear: prepare now, not when the warning drops. And one of the most overlooked aspects of storm preparedness is maintaining illumination when the grid fails.

Cyclone Alfred: Australia's Wake-Up Call

Cyclone Alfred in March 2025 was a watershed moment for Australian storm preparedness. As the first tropical cyclone to hit Brisbane since 1974, it caught many southeast Queenslanders and northern NSW residents off guard.

At peak, over 316,000 properties were without electricity in southeast Queensland alone, with the total number affected exceeding 500,000 across both states.

The Insurance Council of Australia reported tens of thousands of claims within days of the event. Major flooding occurred across multiple river catchments, and significant coastal erosion affected beaches across the NSW and QLD coastline.

The Problem With Power Outages

When the grid goes down, most outdoor lighting fails instantly. Security lights, garden lights, and pathway illumination — all gone. In urban and suburban settings, the darkness is immediate and complete. This creates real safety issues:

• Trip and fall hazards on pathways, steps and driveways — particularly dangerous for elderly residents
• Difficulty locating emergency supplies in unfamiliar darkness
• Reduced security — dark properties are more vulnerable to opportunistic crime
• Anxiety and stress for children, elderly family members, and those with medical conditions
• Navigation difficulties if evacuation is required at night

Even after several cloudy days — common during storm events — quality solar lights with multi-night autonomy can continue operating. This reliability means you're not scrambling for batteries at 2am while checking on elderly neighbours or trying to find the torch your kids left in the backyard.

For Australian conditions specifically, solar lights are well-suited to our high average solar irradiance. Even during La Nina years with increased cloud cover, there's typically enough ambient light during the day to maintain adequate charge for overnight operation.

Final Tips for Australian Storm Season 2026

1. 1Install solar lights now — don't wait for the first storm warning. They need a few days of sun to fully charge, and you don't want to be installing them in the rain.
2. 2Position strategically — prioritise main pathways, entry points, steps, and the route to your meter box or emergency supplies.
3. 3Clean panels before storm season — dust, pollen and debris reduce charging efficiency. A quick wipe with a damp cloth makes a significant difference.
4. 4Test your setup — switch off your outdoor circuit breaker for one evening to simulate an outage and identify any dark spots.
5. 5Know your local emergency contacts — SES: 132 500, Emergency: 000, and save your local energy provider's outage reporting number.
6. 6Monitor BOM warnings — download the BOM Weather app and enable notifications for severe weather warnings in your area.
7. 7Download the Emergency+ app — Australia's official emergency app displays your location so you can read coordinates or an address to 000 call-takers. Essential when you need help finding your exact location.