Calmest Since 1970

With the official end of the Australian tropical season only days away, the calmest season in decades will come to an end.

The season, which officially runs from 1 November through 30 April, has endured only three named cyclones originating within the Australian Tropical Basin.

Having only three named storms of Category 1 strength or higher in the basin would be the fewest dating back to 1970, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

According to Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls, “El Niño played an important role in the low activity of the tropical season as tropical development flourished closer to Fiji and Vanuatu and away from Australia.” El Niño occurs when ocean water temperatures rise above normal across the central and eastern Pacific, near the equator which influences global weather patterns.