Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is yet to officially declare an El Niño, but food growers are already preparing for troubling conditions ahead. Some farmers are even employing climate scientists as a normal part of their business to help better manage climate risk.
El Niño and La Niña are just two in a number of climate drivers. They are part of a natural cycle known as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The ENSO cycle roughly operates over a timescale of one to eight years. They are associated with a sustained period of warming (El Niño) or cooling (La Niña) in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. While a La Niña usually means wetter, cooler weather, an El Niño can mean reduced rainfall and hotter temperatures
As well as increasing the potential for hotter, drier weather in northern and eastern Australia, an El Niño can also increase the risk of frost, something that growers are already planning for. Last week, the Bureau of Meteorology announced that Australia would remain on El Niño alert.
Source: abc.net.au