El Nino Alert: Bureau of Meteorology Warns of Drier Conditions for Australia in Coming Months

Australia weather could experience warmer and drier conditions for some parts of the country in the coming months due to the El Nino climate phenomenon. This is according to the Australian Government's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) which issued an El Nino alert, meaning temperatures could spike nationwide starting this August. Australia could end the year with warmer weather should the El Nino continues.

The weather alert follows inclement weather for Australia back in June 2023, where the BOM also issued a severe weather forecast of heavy rain and potential flooding for the country's southeastern areas. Although low precipitation is expected for the rest of the year, the occurrence of damaging winds and rainfall is still possible to hit the country, especially from September to November, according to Bureau.

Australia El Nino Alert

In a media release on Monday, August 15, the BOM issued the "El Nino Alert" which shows that there is greater than 80% chance most of Australia will experience maximum temperatures in the coming months. On the other hand, the Australian weather agency said global sea surface temperatures were the highest from April to July this year, exceeding records since 1990.

In its long-term forecast, the agency also predicted rainfall is likely to be below average for most areas in the eastern half of Australia and southern part of the state of Western Australia from September to November.

What is El Nino?

The term El Nino, often spelled as "El Niño," means "the Christ Child" in Spanish. It pertains to the warming of the above-normal sea surface temperatures or ocean surface. This is mainly common in the central and eastern tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, as stated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The warming involves low-level surface winds, which typically blow from in an eastward direction, instead weaken or blow the other direction in a westward pattern called "westerly winds," the USGS explains. The climate phenomenon is irregular and occurs every two years to a decade. El Nino events can alter even normal weather patterns globally, the U.S. government agency adds.

El Nino Impacts

El Nino, in particular, affects the local weather from Australia to South America, as well as other regions of the world.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains the El Nino climate pattern makes warmer waters force the Pacific jet stream to move southward of its neutral position. Due to this movement, some areas in the northern half of the U.S. and Canada are experiencing warmer and drier conditions than usual.

El Nino also affects the health of marine life off the Pacific coast, where it decreases upwelling (the process where nutrient-rich water from the depths reaches the surface, the NOAA states. Meanwhile, El Nino events are also linked to severe drought conditions. Just earlier this month, Panama authorities attributed El Nino to the drought affecting the Central American country's Panama Canal.