Tourists are seen looking at The Sydney Harbour Bridge in the rainImage source, Getty Images
Image caption, Sydney broke its annual rainfall record in October

It feels like a different day every year. I woke up and it was raining, dark and cold.

It has been raining all year in Australia. She is close to the mark.

There have been more rainy days in the city than dry ones. Last month, Sydney broke its annual rainfall record.

"It's not like we've just dodged a bullet," said Tom. The record has been destroyed I've never seen something like that before.

Three times the annual average of rain has fallen on the city.

Across Australia's eastern states, it's been the same thing. More than 30 people have been killed this year due to flooding in all four of them. Two people died as towns in central western New South Wales went underwater.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the weather is being driven by a number of phenomena, including the La Nina pattern which increases the likelihood of rain in Australia.

There are a couple of months left. Any rain could cause more flooding for eastern and northern Australia.

Australia brags about its warm, sunny beach weather all the time. The country has been more humid this year than in the past.

How Sydney compares to other rainy cities. . The graph shows how Sydney's average and 2022 rainfall compares to Singapore, Cardiff and Miami .

Ms Gray can feel that it's making her sad.

She says that sometimes she doesn't want to get out of bed because of the rain, and that she can't hang out on the line because the house is so damp.

A new interior designer loves wet clothes and black mold.

She said that the dog is over it.

Rebecca Gray
Image caption, Rebecca Gray says she is sick of the weather

Kim Felmingham says the weather is affecting the national mood.

The effect of overcast weather is that it blocks sunlight, lowers the body's happy hormone and affects sleep.

Prof Felmingham says that rain can stop people from getting outdoors and doing activities that give them a sense of wellbeing.

The factors compound each other. "If you've got really relentless rain, we have got clear evidence that can lower mood, lower energy levels and bring a sense of loneliness at times," he says.

Many people are more than that. They are exhausted and traumatised.

Naomi was lucky to survive the floods in the town of Lismore. She was alone on her roof and scared for her life.

She says that if the rain stopped, you could hear little cries from inside the houses. I was listening to people drown.

A fifth person drowned when the town flooded again a month later.

Naomi WorrallImage source, Supplied
Image caption, The floods devastated Naomi Worrall's home and new business

The town is so tense that even a small shower can cause waves of anxiety.

The sound of rain on the roof is comforting to Australians. People love that sound. If there's one thing I've heard most often, it's the grief they feel for one of their favorite sounds being turned into atrigger.

The last two years were marked by record-breaking fires. Climate change is making Australia's land of extremes worse and more frequent.

It's making a mental health crisis.

Cybele Dey is a member of Doctors for the Environment Australia. It's more than just the sum of the impacts for people who have experienced multiple disasters.

More than half of the population reported having a direct experience of at least one disaster. The number is likely to have gone up.

One in four respondents showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. According to psychologists, one in 10 people have developed what they call an "ECO" - increased feelings of anxiety or anxiousness about the future.

Prof Felmingham says that even if you aren't directly affected by the events, you know someone who is. Where next and who next is the question.

Media caption,

There is anger and trauma in Australia after the floods.

According to Dr Dey, more people are coming to her with distress about climate change.

She thinks that the trend will only get stronger, as children who are born now can expect to experience more fossil-fuel driven disasters than their grandparents.

Improving Australia's mental resilience will be important.

Research by the Australian Red Cross shows that people who prepare for disasters feel less distress and recover quicker than people who don't.

Training in mental health first aid, seeking support from people with similar experiences, and channelling stress into something productive can help.

She says that better action on climate change from the government would improve people's wellbeing. She says that they can see that their distress is being taken care of. There needs to be reason for hope.

She is trying to make peace with the rain by planting flowers.

She says that rain is essential to life and that it is a good thing. It cannot be an ally forever.

  • Climate change
  • Australia climate
  • Mental health
  • Australia