Officials stunned as country's iconic lake undergoes rare transformation: 'Only three times in the past 160 years'

One gorgeous lake in Australia is due to fill more deeply than it has in 15 years, attracting birds from across the region — and the people who want to see them, Glam Adelaide reported.

Lake Eyre rests in the Far North region of South Australia. Despite the name, much of this basin is usually dry and covered in a crust of salt.

However, when there's an unusual amount of rain upstream — as there has been recently — the floodwaters break through the crust of salt and fill the basin, creating what looks like an inland sea over 89 miles long and almost 48 miles wide.

"Experiencing Kati Thanda Lake-Eyre with a large amount of water is a unique event and one that captures the hearts and imaginations of nature lovers, bird watchers and photographers," said a spokesperson from the Department for Environment and Water, per Glam Adelaide. "The lake has filled to capacity only three times in the past 160 years."

While this remarkable event will attract both birds and tourists, it's not all good news. It's made possible by flooding, such as the excess water pouring through Queensland in recent months. The same floodwaters that damaged property and killed thousands of livestock will fill Lake Eyre and feed the plants and birds in the region.

Extreme weather events are only getting more common as our world gets hotter due to heat-trapping air pollution. What may once have happened only every 50 or 60 years could now occur much more frequently because the warmer our overall climate gets, the less stable weather patterns are and the more likely we are to see droughts, severe storms, floods, and other disruptions.

That means danger and expense for people as well as damage to the ecosystems that every species on the planet relies on for survival.

The only way to protect our planet from future disasters is to cool it down — and that means acting now to educate yourself about pollution and Earth's rising temperature.

Do you take steps to conserve water at home? All the time 😎 Usually 👍 Sometimes 😬 Never 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.