Skiers and boarders may be in for a disappointing Australian season this year as two major climate drivers collide, potentially resulting in poor or lower-than-average snowfall.

Meteorologists at Weatherzone said that though it's not guaranteed, if the "unfavourable combination" of El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Diopole (IOD) comes to fruition, "the Australian alps may have a poor snow season by historic standards".

"Unlike the atmosphere, which changes a lot from week to week, the ocean takes a long time to warm up and cool down. This makes ocean temperatures more predictable weeks to months in advance," the weather authority explained.

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This means that ocean temperatures may give an indication of how much snowfall we can expect on Australian alps.

According to a Bureau of Meteorology study, snow depth has been found to be up to 20 per cent lower during El Niño years than it is when the Pacific Ocean is in a neutral state.

The "worst combination of Pacific and Indian Ocean climate drivers" for Aussie peak snow depth is "El Niño and positive IOD".

"While this combination has only happened eight times since 1960, it was responsible for the only two years that saw less than 100 cm of snow at Spencers Creek (1982 and 2006)," Weatherzone said.

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"Unfortunately for Australian snow-lovers and industries that rely on the winter snowpack, both El Niño and a positive IOD are predicted to occur in 2023.

"If they do materialise, the Australian alps may have a poor snow season.

"However, it is important to reiterate that while El Niño and a positive IOD increase the likelihood of a below-average snow season, they don't guarantee it."

The news comes as officials prepare to officially announce an El Niño event – set to bring dyer, warmer conditions throughout winter – which has all but been guaranteed by meteorologists, who say it's "likely to very likely".

Though that may mean above-average temperatures in the pipeline, Aussies have shivered through a cold-snap this week, with Friday bearing no exception.

Across the capital cities today, Sydney will see blue skies and reach a top of 17 degrees with a low of seven, in Melbourne it'll be rainy with a top of just 14 and lows of seven.

In the nation's capital it'll reach 13 degrees with Canberrans shivering through a low of -3, tops of 16 in Adelaide with scattered showers, while in Brisbane, it'll be 22 and sunny.

In the country's west, Perth will reach 25 degrees today with partly cloudy conditions. 

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will touch down in Japan today as a guest at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, a meeting of the leaders of seven of the world's most powerful democracies.

Following the cancellation of the Quad meeting in Sydney next week, it's a crucial chance for Albanese to speak with some of Australia's closest allies.

From the emergence of crucial developing countries to security worries, including growing aggression from China, North Korea and Russia, here's a look at the G7, who will attend and some of the key issues.

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What is the G7 summit?

The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialised nations. It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US.

This year is Japan's turn to host, but the presidency of G7 summits revolves among the seven members. Two representatives of the European Union also join.

As is customary in recent years, leaders from some non-G7 countries, including Albanese, and international organisations will also participate in some sessions.

The leaders discuss a wide range of issues, including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and gender.

The first summit was in 1975, when France hosted what was then a Group of Six meeting to discuss tackling a recession that followed an Arab oil embargo. Canada became the seventh member a year later. Russia joined to form the G-8 in 1998 but was expelled after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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Who else is coming?

This year, the leaders of Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam are invited, as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stresses the importance of reaching out to developing countries in the so-called Global South and US allies and partners.

The invitations to leaders outside the G7 are meant to extend cooperation to a broader range of countries.

The G7 countries' share of global economic activity has shrunk to about 30 per cent from roughly 50 per cent four decades ago.

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Developing economies such as China, India and Brazil have made huge gains, raising questions about the G7′s relevance and its role in leading a world economy that's increasingly reliant on growth in less wealthy nations.

Leaders of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation and the World Trade Organisation are also invited.

Why Hiroshima?

Hiroshima is Kishida's hometown. His choice of venue underscores a determination to put nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation at the top of the agenda of this year's summit.

A path to nuclear disarmament has appeared more difficult with Russia's recent nuclear weapon threats in Ukraine, as well as nuclear and missile development by China and North Korea.

Japan, which is protected by the US nuclear umbrella, has also faced criticism that its nuclear disarmament pledge is an empty promise. Kishida is trying to forge a realistic roadmap between the current harsh reality and the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons.

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Kishida on Friday will welcome arriving leaders at the Hiroshima Peace Park. He also plans to escort the leaders to the A-bomb museum, in the first group visit by heads of nuclear states. There might also be a meeting with atomic bomb survivors.

"I believe the first step toward any nuclear disarmament effort is to provide a first-hand experience of the consequences of the atomic bombing and to firmly convey the reality," Kishida said during a recent visit to Hiroshima to observe summit preparations.

What are the top issues?

G7 leaders are expected to strongly condemn Russia's war on Ukraine while pledging their continuing support for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the session via the internet.

There will also be a focus on Beijing's escalating threats against Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island Beijing claims as its own, and ways to reduce Western democracies' economic and supply chain dependency on China.

To address the rise of Global South nations, including many former colonies of Western powers with varied views on and ties to Russia and China, the G7 will offer these countries more support in health, food security and infrastructure to develop closer ties.

What else is happening?

In a closely watched event on the sidelines of the summit, Kishida will meet together with President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss closer security cooperation, possibly including stronger nuclear deterrence.

Kishida and Yoon will pay their respects together at a Hiroshima memorial for Korean atomic bomb victims in a trust-building gesture as the two countries repair ties strained by disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and lying-in-state last year cost Britain's government an estimated £162 million (approx. $304 million), the treasury revealed on Thursday.

The state funeral for the late monarch, held on September 19, was the first in the UK since that of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965.

The occasion, attended by world leaders and dignitaries, followed 10 days of national mourning after the Queen died at age 96 on September 8 after 70 years on the throne.

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Hundreds of thousands of people were drawn to London's Westminster Hall to see the United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch lying in state.

The costs were published on Thursday as part of a written statement to Parliament.

"The government's priorities were that these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public," said John Glen, chief secretary to the treasury, in a statement.

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Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, were both interred at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Philip, who died in 2021 at 99 years old, chose not to lie in state and his funeral was a muted affair, because it was held under strict social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last royal funeral before that was for Elizabeth's mother, known as the Queen Mother, in 2002.

She lay in state for three days, and her funeral costs were estimated to be around £5.4 million.

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Tauranga City Council has confirmed the seat will stay.

A Chinese envoy has asked Australian authorities to increase efforts to find survivors in an Indian Ocean search for 39 crew members missing from a capsized Chinese fishing boat.

Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said the Australian authority had already sent four planes and three ships to the search area, which is in the centre of the Indian Ocean.

No survivors or life rafts have been spotted.

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Xiao said China wanted to coordinate with “friendly countries", including Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, on the search and rescue effort following the capsizing on Tuesday.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the search coordinator, said the upturned hull was spotted Tuesday from a cargo ship 5000 kilometres northwest of Perth.

Chinese authorities say the missing crew includes 17 from China, 17 from Indonesia and five from the Philippines.

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“We wish that they could send more — more aircraft, more ships and more staff,” Xiao told reporters, referring to Australian authorities.

“We wish that our Australian colleagues would coordinate with other international or foreign vessels or ships near that area … to help the search and rescue to save as many lives as possible."

Xiao's came after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin thanked Australian authorities for their efforts in the search.

"Chinese and foreign vessels have arrived at relevant waters and the search and rescue operation is intensively underway," Wang said on Wednesday.

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"More help is on the way. We will continue to work together with relevant sides to do everything possible to find those who have gone missing.

"We would like to thank the Australian maritime search and rescue department for sending an aircraft and coordinating foreign vessels passing by to help with the search and rescue efforts.

"We hope countries nearby will continue to join our search and rescue efforts. We will not give up as long as there is still hope for saving lives."

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On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang ordered Chinese diplomats, as well as the agriculture and transportation ministries, to assist in the search for survivors.

Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines have also expressed their willingness to join in the search, and merchant and fishing vessels in the area searched for survivors Wednesday.

The search authority said the multinational search effort was continuing Thursday over an area of 12,000 square kilometres south of where the upturned hull was found.

An Australian military P-8A Poseidon aircraft and a chartered aircraft based in Perth would rejoin the search after spending the night in the Maldives, the authority said in a statement. Australia was liaising with the Chinese Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, with three Chinese naval ships continuing the search.

“A number of merchant ships and other vessels have been assisting with the search and will continue to do so today,” the statement said.

The authority would not reveal how many ships and aircraft were involved in the search.

“We are not supplying that level of detail at this stage,” the authority said in an email.

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Transport Minister Catherine King, who is responsible for the search authority, was travelling overseas and was not available for comment, her office said.

No word was given on the cause of the capsizing.

The capsized boat, Lu Peng Yuan Yu 028, was based in the eastern coastal province of Shandong, operated by the Penglai Jinglu Fishery Co. Ltd., according to reports.

Another Chinese vessel, Lu Peng Yuan Yu 018, is operating near the upturned hull and has been asked to conduct a grid search for survivors, according to Indonesian authorities.

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Police were called to the scene around 5.20pm this evening

La Niña and El Niño events becoming more frequently strong as planet heats, study finds.

A commissioner has been appointed after the entire board resigned this week.

“It’s always full, it’s always cancelled. So I can’t rely on it to get to uni.”

A bouncy castle business owner who hired arsonists to burn down his competitors and fled interstate when charges were laid will spend up to 11 years behind bars.

James Balcombe, 58, admitted 11 conspiracy to commit arson charges following arson attacks on several Victorian businesses in 2016 and 2017.

He became obsessed with becoming the best in Melbourne's jumping castle industry when he instructed three men to carry out arson attacks on several of his rivals, paying them $2000 for each fire.

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Balcombe told the arsonists-for-hire to "burn them to the ground".

Many of the arson attacks were unsuccessful, with minor damage caused after Molotov cocktails were thrown into car parks, vehicles or through windows into the front of buildings.

However, A&A Jumping Castles business was totally destroyed by one of the fires and 110 bouncy castles were destroyed causing $1.4 million damage.

Once he became scared police were on his trail, Balcombe paid an arsonist to set fire to his own business to deflect attention and claim back insurance.

The arsonists Balcombe hired ended up dobbing him into police when they were caught.

He was charged in March 2017 and released on bail but did not show up for a final directions hearing, with his lawyer handing over a fake medical certificate.

A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was found living in Perth, running a fraudulent stamp operation under the name Paul Johnson.

Balcombe appeared by video link from prison in Victoria's County Court on Thursday, where he was jailed for a minimum of seven years and 10 months, with a maximum of 11 years.

"You could have changed your mind when you saw the damage caused to the property. You could have pulled back, stopped, but you did not," Judge Stewart Bayles said.

"Your offending led to the counterproductive destruction of your own business and property."

Balcombe has already served two years and five months of his sentence.

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