'Phenomenal emergence': Expert reveals why cicadas are so loud this year
It's the soundtrack to an Aussie summer.
The sizzle of sausages on a barbecue, the crash of waves on the beach, and the buzz of cicadas.
But if you've noticed the bugs are getting a little too loud, you're not alone.
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They're calling it cicada-geddon - and experts have called it "a phenomenal year" for the insect species. A Current Affair
They're calling it cicada-geddon - and experts have called it "a phenomenal year" for the insect species.
Australia's foremost cicada expert Professor David Emery said several species - some which have been underground for seven years - have emerged at the same time.
"I don't think we've seen such a phenomenal emergence [of cicadas] that we've seen this year," he said.
"[Green grocer cicadas] emerged in the Blue Mountains in September and since then all the way up and down the coast they've been joined by all these others, which are the big ones which are the ones people notice," Emery said.
"Of course, it's all the males convorting around trying to find a female before their demise," Emery said.
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A Current Affair's recording got up to 103 decibels - equivalent to a chainsaw or an aircraft taking off. A Current Affair
"They've spent a lot of time underground so they've got about four to six weeks for the big ones to sing their hearts out to try and get their genes into the next generation."
They say 85 decibels in your ear for longer than 15 minutes is a concern for your hearing.
A Current Affair's recording got up to 103 decibels - equivalent to a chainsaw or an aircraft taking off.
"It's really jackhammer-type noise, that really does a bit of damage to your ears," Emery said.
Watch the full video in the player above.
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