El Niño set to be wettest on record as storms soak Australia's east
This October is looking particularly wet thanks to an ongoing outbreak of thunderstorms which is set to engulf most of central and eastern Australia during the coming week.
Australia is poised to record its wettest El Niño year on record, with October emerging as the most rainfall-heavy month. The country has been battered by a series of storms and thunderstorms, especially in Queensland and the eastern seaboard. Sydney has received over 100mm of rain, while central Queensland has experienced severe flash flooding.
The high-pressure system stalled in southern Tasman Sea has created a humid environment conducive to stormy weather. Despite the Pacific El Niño being one of the strongest on record, the Australian winter and spring have seen above-average rainfall, a rare occurrence. This anomaly could be attributed to factors such as a warm blob in the central Indian Ocean and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole. November is also expected to be wetter than normal across the majority of Australia.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
