2009 was Australia's second warmest year on record, containing three significant heatwaves, while 2000-2009 was Australia's warmest decade since the Australian Bureau of Meteorology commenced high quality national records in 1910. Last year, floods affected large areas of northern Australia, northeast NSW and Tasmania, while the year started with extremely dry conditions in the southeast and for parts of WA. We have just completed the globe's warmest decade on record, while sea level was also at record levels in 2009.