Australia’s climate in 2016 – a year of two halves as El Niño unwound

For Australia’s climate, 2016 was a year of two halves. The year started with one of the strongest El Niño events on record in place in the Pacific Ocean, and the opening months of 2016 were generally hot and dry, especially in northern and eastern Australia.

From May onwards there was a dramatic change in the pattern, with heavy rain and flooding a regular feature of the middle months of the year.

Overall temperatures were the fourth warmest on record in 2016, capping off Australia’s hottest decade. We track these events and more in the Bureau of Meteorology’s annual climate summary released today.

Read the thoughts of a climate scientist with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Blair Trewin, on The Conversation - “Australia’s climate in 2016 – a year of two halves as El Niño unwound.”