A woman walks around Sydney harbour as rain falls across the city, in Sydney, Australia on May 23, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Australia’s weather bureau on Tuesday (June 16, 2026) said an El Nino event is under way in the tropical Pacific, with atmospheric indicators such as 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 (BOM) 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.
Published – June 16, 2026 12:27 pm IST