www.bom.gov.au

USUALLY EL NIÑO DEVELOPS IN

AND STARTS TO DECAY IN SUMMER

WHEN DO THEY OCCUR?

SPOTTING AN EL NIÑ0

increases near the Date Line

weaken, and sometimes reverse

changes across the Pacific; higher in the west, lower in the east

TYPICAL IMPACTS

DECREASESIN EASTERN AUSTRALIARAINFALL

INCREASES IN SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA (DAYTIME TEMPERATURES)

TEMPERATURE

INCREASED BUSHFIRE RISK

FEWER TROPICAL CYCLONES

LATER START TO NORTHERN WET SEASON

MORE HEATWAVES

LONGER FROST RISK SEASON

REDUCED CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD FLOODS

LESS CHANCE OF INDIAN OCEAN HEATWAVES

STRONGER SEABREEZES

OTHER IMPACTS

in the tropical Pacific Ocean warm,both at the surface and below

O N O U R C L I M AT E

ON AVERAGETHEY OCCUR EVERY

3 5 YEAR

S

2015–16WAS IN

EL NIÑO OF THE HOTTEST YEARS ON RECORD WERE IN AN EL NIÑO YEAR OR THE YEAR FOLLOWING

2002 2015

EVERY EL NIÑOIS DIFFERENT

EL NIÑO WINTER AND SPRING RAINFALL

RED = DRIER THAN NORMAL BLUE = WETTER THAN NORMAL

THERE HAVE BEEN

EL NIÑO EVENTS SINCE 1900

B R O U G H T DROUGHT TOMANY AREAS

7

OUTOF7 106OR AS LONG AS 2

EL NIÑO EVENTS CAN LAST FOR AS LITTLE AS

MONTHS YEARS

THE LAST

EL NIÑOIN AUSTRALIA