Source: AAP Image/ Joel Carrett
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Australia is now subject to an El Niño climate event, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says, boosting the likelihood of warmer and drier conditions than average in the coming months.
As the eastern states experience an unseasonable burst of hot weather, here is a brief explanation of what El Niño is, and what the nation can expect in the months ahead.
What is El Niño?
In its simplest form, El Niño refers to a cycle of warming ocean temperatures across the Pacific.
Trade winds blow warm water from east to west across the equator, but when those winds weaken or reverse, warm water can pool in the centre or east of the Pacific.
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