Australia forecasts La Nina in the Pacific for second year

Australia's weather bureau said Tuesday that the weather phenomenon known as La Nina had developed for the second consecutive year in the Pacific Ocean.

La Nina is likely to bring above average rainfall across much of Australia's north, east and center. The weather formation is known to bring more rain, tropical cyclones and below average temperatures in the equatorial Pacific during the southern hemisphere's summer.

It is also likely to boost the country's wheat yields as well as potentially lead into a less severe bushfire season owing to extra rainfall. In September, predictions for wheat production this year were lifted by 17%, near record levels as a result of favorable weather conditions.

What led to La Nina for a second year?

A low-pressure front earlier this month brought between 50 and 150 millimeters (two to six inches) of precipitation in southeastern Australia. The rains led to flash flooding across certain areas in the states of Queensland and New South Wales.

"Back-to-back La Nina events are not unusual, with around half of all past events returning for a second year," Andrew Watkins, the head of operational climate services at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, said in a statement.

While La Nina events usually last up to a year, Watkins said climate models suggest this year's pattern will last only until late January.

Watkins noted, "Every La Nina has different impacts, as it is not the only climate driver to affect Australia at any one time."

ar/msh (dpa, Reuters)