Flooding fears as La Niña brings heavy rain to north-east Australia

Analysis: It has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia, as weather event drives heavy rainfall

It has already been a very wet autumn in eastern Australia. Now further heavy rain will bring the potential for flooding in the north-east of the country over the next few days.

La Nina has been the main driver behind the wet weather across Australia during what is autumn in the southern hemisphere. During a La Nina event, the sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are colder than normal, meaning that the usual easterly winds across the equator are strengthened. The result of this is that more moisture is fed into north-eastern parts of Australia in particular, with an increase in associated heavy rainfall events.