James C. A. Miller-Jones, Kaustubh M. Rajwade, Patrick A. Woudt, Jason W. T. Hessels

Transient astrophysics provides a set of unique laboratories for studying fundamental physics. From the launching of powerful relativistic jets to merging neutron stars, highly-magnetised compact objects, or stellar explosions, transients probe the Universe at its most extreme. The SKAO will provide an unrivalled set of capabilities for transient observations on timescales from nanoseconds to decades, opening new discovery space. With its sensitivity, broad spectral coverage, wide field of view, and high survey speed, SKAO will allow us to discover and understand rare events that provide powerful new insights into regimes of high energy density, strong gravity, and intense magnetic fields. Complemented by a suite of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger facilities, and supported by a network of smaller existing radio telescopes and new computational capabilities, SKAO will unveil the most powerful and exotic events in our Universe, addressing some of the key questions in modern astrophysics and cosmology.