Gordon_R
Honorary Master

Rare ‘triple dip’ La Niña declared
La Niña has formed for the third consecutive year in the Pacific. Simon King explains what this might mean for global weather patterns.
www.bbc.com
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has announced that the weather phenomenon La Niña has formed for the third consecutive year in the Pacific.
This is only the third time since records began that there have been three consecutive La Niña events.
"It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a La Nina event," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said.
Head of long-range forecasts at BOM, Dr Andrew Watkins, said that climate influences like La Niña and another called the Indian Ocean Dipole, "push Australia's climate towards a wetter phase, and together have shaped our outlook for the coming months that shows more than 80% chance of above average rainfall for many parts of the eastern half of Australia".
Dr Watkins went on to say that, "with catchments already wet, the flood risk remains, particularly for eastern Australia."
A fourth season of failed rains is currently causing one of the worst droughts East Africa has seen in decades.
Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are on the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to the UN. The UN's World Food Programme says up to 20 million people are at risk of severe hunger.