Australia declares strong El Nino in tropical Pacific as risks to agriculture loom

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

The weather pattern is particularly damaging to Australia as it impacts agricultural production in the country - among the world's largest exporters of wheat, sugar and beef.

One of the strongest such patterns occurred in 2015 and 2016, triggering widespread drought and leading to reduced grain and oilseed output.

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

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 1:46 AM.