For the First Time This Century, a Triple La Niña Event Is Underway in Australia – But It’s Not All Bad News

It’s been just four short months since her last visit finally came to an end , but today the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) officially declared that the uninvited and unwelcome weather event, La Niña, is underway for a third year. That means rain and a general vibe-killing that goes long into spring

The BOM says that key atmospheric and oceanic indicators have confirmed that the sodden maiden has once again taken hold for a hat-trick appearance. This, combined with the ongoing negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event, means a squelchy spring is all but guaranteed.

It also says these two phenomena mean rainfall across the eastern half of the country will be above median from now all the way through to December, when it’s possible La Niña will ease up and give us a goddamn break.

The BOM predicts La Niña’s diva antics will likely peak in spring and possibly spare most of summer from its watery ways. And for most of the country, while the next few months might be damp, they aren’t forecast to be too chilly , with many of us pegged to enjoy milder minimum daily temps than usual.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t include Sydney, where there is an equal chance of warmer or cooler minimum daily temperatures over the next few months.

Triple La Niña events are rare, having only occurred twice since 1900. The last time the world endured a hat-trick performance of the highly influential phenomenon was between 1998 and 2001. The World Meteorological Organisation has called the “triple-dip” event “exceptional".