Australia weather bureau says El Nino event underway in tropical Pacific

SYDNEY - Australia's weather bureau on Tuesday said an El Nino event is underway in the tropical Pacific, with atmospheric indicators like trade winds, pressure and cloud patterns aligning with the weather phenomenon.

"Forecasts are pointing towards a strong to very strong El Nino event, based on the extent of warming in the central tropical Pacific," the Bureau of Meteorology said.

El Nino is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. One of the strongest such patterns occurred in 2015 and 2016, triggering widespread drought in Asia, which cut grain and oilseed output.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 1:25 AM.