Judy Woodruff:

It has been an awful summer in Australia, with extreme weather and terrible consequences. Thunderstorms and hail have been pelting eastern sections of the country, but strong winds have also created dust storms.

Drought conditions and the bushfires remain a major problem. This fire season is hardly over.

Miles O'Brien has been reporting from there for our regular coverage on the Leading Edge of science and for the weather app MyRadar.