{News} 080723 Australia eyes dry weather from Indian Ocean effect

Australia eyes dry weather from Indian Ocean effect

Reuters
SYDNEY, July 23 (Reuters) - A mild weather condition in the Indian Ocean has increased the chance of dry weather in southeast Australia, a key wheat-growing region, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday.


An Indian Ocean Dipole, which measures the difference between sea surface temperatures in western and eastern parts of the tropical Indian Ocean, was currently in a positive phase, the bureau said.


"A positive Indian Ocean Dipole is known to increase the chance of below normal winter-spring rainfall in southeast Australia," the bureau said in an update of its regular commentary on the El Nino weather effect (www.bom.gov.au).


"Its evolution will be closely monitored," it said.
Conditions in the Pacific Ocean remained neutral for El Nino/La Nina weather effects, the bureau said.


The El Nino weather effect, which results from abnormal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, typically brings dry weather to eastern Australia and Southeast Asia.
The La Nina weather effect typically brings wet weather to those regions.


Climate model forecasts show that neutral conditions are likely to continue thoughout 2008, but there was still a small chance of an El Nino developing in 2008, the bureau said.


Australia is still battling its worst drought in 100 years, which was triggered in 2002 by an El Nino weather effect which has since faded. A La Nina effect which replaced it late last year has also faded. The drought has devastated crops in Australia in three of the last six years, but hopes are high for a big wheat harvest of over 20 million tonnes, starting in October this year. (Reporting by Michael Byrnes)

Source: http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=602562

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