Australia declares La Niña for second straight year | Inquirer News

Australia declares La Niña for second straight year

/ 02:03 PM November 23, 2021

Australia swollen river

 A boat navigates the swollen Hawkesbury River northwest of Sydney as flooding resulting from a severe weather event with prolonged rains affects the area in Wisemans Ferry, Australia, March 25, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

SYDNEY — Australia’s weather bureau said on Tuesday a La Nina weather phenomenon had developed in the Pacific Ocean for the second year in a row that could bring above average rainfall across the country’s center, north and east.

La Nina is typically associated with greater rainfall, more tropical cyclones and cooler-than-average temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

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The weather event could boost Australia’s wheat yields. In September, the country lifted its wheat forecast for this season by 17% to near record levels citing favorable weather.

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A wetter than usual end to the year could also result in a less severe bushfire season.

“Back-to-back La Nina events are not unusual, with around half of all past events returning for a second year,” Andrew Watkins, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Head of Operational Climate Services, said in a statement.

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La Nina events normally last about a year but climate models suggest this year’s pattern will be short-lived, persisting until the late southern hemisphere summer or early autumn 2022, Watkins said.

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“Every La Nina has different impacts, as it is not the only climate driver to affect Australia at any one time,” he said.

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The United States weather forecaster last month said La Nina conditions had developed and there was an 87% chance of the weather pattern continuing through the December-February period.

In Australia, a low-pressure system early this month dumped 50 to 150 millimetres (2-6 inches) of rain in some parts of the southeast, the highest in years, triggering floods across parts of Queensland and inland New South Wales states.

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“A La Nina should translate into a lower risk of bushfires and extreme heatwaves over the eastern states this summer … however, we can expect an increased likelihood of flooding rains and tropical cyclones,” said Matthew England, a professor from the University of New South Wales Climate Change Research Center.

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TAGS: Australia, La Niña, Weather

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