SYDNEY, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast that most of the country has at least an 80 percent chance of above-average temperatures this autumn from March to May following a muggy summer.
In a long-range weather forecast released on Thursday, the weather bureau noted that there would be a 60 percent to 75 percent chance of below-median rainfall for much of northern, eastern, and south-western Australia.
The autumn weather pattern followed a summer that is on track to be Australia's third-warmest on record nationally.
"Every state and territory had above-average daytime and nighttime temperatures. Western Australia is on track to have its warmest summer on record. This follows the state's warmest spring on record," said BOM Senior Climatologist Lynette Bettio.
"Widespread heatwaves persisted over summer, with most of Australia experiencing heatwave conditions at times," she noted.
Looking ahead to the weather in autumn, Bettio underlined an increased chance of "unusually warm" temperatures across most of the country.
"El Nino is nearing its end and we expect conditions to be neutral in the Pacific Ocean during autumn. Oceans around Australia are forecast to continue to be warmer than average. This can influence our weather in different ways including warmer temperatures," said Bettio. ■
