Above average rainfall and temperatures are predicted for eastern Australia this winter amid a slowly weakening La Nina weather pattern.
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Unusually wet weather is forecast for NSW, South Australia, Queensland and the NT, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's Winter 2022 Climate Outlook, which was released on Thursday.
This season is expected to be in the top 20 per cent of wettest winters and with already saturated catchments in south-eastern Australia, the winter rain extends the flood risk for these regions.
The flood waters in low lying areas in Queensland and NSW will slowly move inland towards South Australia over coming months.
It should be noted that since the NT's dry season started in May, it only takes a small amount of extra rain to be considered above average at this time of year.
Meanwhile, parts of south-western Australia and south-western Tasmania are likely to have below average rainfall this winter.
Above average temperatures
The BoM predicts there is an above 80 per cent chance of unusually high winter temperatures in south-eastern NSW, southern and eastern Victoria, all of Tasmania, coastal, south-western and northern parts of WA and coastal northern areas of the NT and Queensland.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Meanwhile, unusually low daytime temperatures, in the coolest 20 per cent of past winters, is predicted for a large swathe of central Australia from WA's east, through central Australia and into eastern states.
Warmer than average nights are likely almost everywhere - with at least an 80 per cent chance of higher minimum temperatures for most of Australia.
The winter outlooks are being influenced by a developing negative Indian Ocean Dipole, a slowly declining La Nina in the Pacific Ocean and warmer than average waters around northern Australia.