Currently in Melbourne - December 20th, 2022
The weather, currently.
We remain in a warm and dry pattern for the middle of the week. An area of high pressure is still over Victoria and will be around for one more day on Wednesday. This will all change on Thursday as an area of low pressure forms near New Zealand and will bring storms back into the forecast.
— Megan Montero filling in for Megan Herbert
What you need to know, currently.
La Niña is expected to continue into the winter, with equal chances of La Niña and ENSO-neutral during January-March 2023. In February-April 2023, there is a 71% chance of ENSO-neutral. A #LaNina Advisory remains in effect. https://t.co/5zlzaYJ1Lp pic.twitter.com/IKDvRvLzny
— NWS Climate Prediction Center (@NWSCPC) December 8, 2022
A La Niña advisory is in effect, and it is expected to continue into the winter. The climate pattern also has a 50-50 chance of continuing into early 2023 as well.
Earth had one of the hottest summers on record this year. This is peculiar because the climate pattern across the tropical Pacific, or El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), was in its cool phase, aka La Niña. During this phase, the Pacific’s waters are far cooler than normal, and changes global weather patterns.
In the winter months, La Niña can cause colder and stormier than average conditions across the North, and warmer, less stormier conditions in the South. Essentially, La Niña keeps global temperatures under control, despite extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and droughts. In other words, La Niña stops these events from transforming into their worst form.
If La Niña continues into early 2023, the weather pattern will be one of the longest on record, as it began in spring 2020.
—Aarohi Sheth
What you can do, currently.
