Wild weather has again smashed Australian coasts, but could it be a sign of things to come?

Lives have been lost in the ongoing storms across Tasmania and the east coast of mainland Australia.

Some of the wettest days on record have seen waves cause severe coastal erosion and property damage.

The storms come from east coast lows, which cause widespread rainfall particularly during late autumn and winter.

While the system is not uncommon, its impacts increasingly lead people to wonder influence climate change will have.

In a new article for The Conversation, UNSW researcher Acacia Pepler looks at the possible role that increased climate variability will have on the storms that will continue to rock our shores.

Pepler is an expert on extreme rainfall, east coast lows and regional climate models.

She discusses discoveries about the progressive southerly movement of storms, the influence of atmospheric conditions, and just what it may mean for the individual extreme events like those experienced in recent days.