What kind of weather conditions would you expect to find in Australia during La Niña?

Answer 1

• The water in the western Pacific is typically warmer than in the eastern Pacific because trade winds blow the warm waters of the eastern Pacific westward and keep it there. Also, upwelling in the eastern Pacific keeps the water cooler.
• The warmer water creates more clouds and rain, keeping Indonesia and other areas of the western Pacific wetter than Peru and other coastal regions of South America.
• During El Niño, the pressure gradient (rate of pressure change between areas of high and low pressure) weakens. In the western tropical Pacific, there is unusually high air pressure, while there is unusually low air pressure in the eastern tropical Pacific. This Southern Oscillation causes the trade winds to weaken, and even blow backwards. This pattern reversal leads to unusually wet weather in parts of South America, and unusually dry weather in the western Pacific.
• El Nino usually occurs every 3 to 7 years, and lasts for about 18 months.
• La Niña is the opposite of El Niño. These two weather patterns oscillate every few years.
• During La Niña, there is unusually low air pressure over the western tropical Pacific, and unusually high air pressure in the eastern tropical Pacific. The easterly blowing trade winds strengthen, blowing more warm water away from the equatorial Pacific. As a result, Australia and Indonesia become wetter than normal, and parts of South America become drier than normal.