{
  "id": 15026184,
  "title": "El Niño set to be wettest on record as storms soak Australia's east",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/el-nino-set-to-be-wettest-on-record-as-storms-soak-australias-east",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T19:22:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-17/2026-may-become-australias-wettest-el-nino-weather-year/107273884"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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.",
  "key_points": [
    "October set to be Australia's wettest El Niño month on record",
    "Storms and thunderstorms battered Queensland and eastern seaboard",
    "High-pressure system in Tasman Sea created humid environment for storms"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}