MELBOURNE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has declared that a strong El Nino weather event is underway in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

This aerial photo taken on April 5, 2024, shows tourists snorkelling above bleached and dead coral around Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, located 270 kilometres (167 miles) north of the city of Cairns. (File photo: AFP)

The BoM said in an update issued on Tuesday night that the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific is now in an El Nino phase, which is driven by warming in the ocean near the equator and capable of significantly affecting global weather.

"Most models suggest this event is likely to be strong to very strong," the BoM said in a statement.

It said that El Nino events are typically associated with less winter and spring rainfall in Australia, particularly the eastern half of the country, and higher daytime temperatures in southern areas.

The previous El Nino that began in 2023 and ended in 2024 included Australia's driest three-month period on record from August to October 2023.

The BoM said forecasts show that current El Nino conditions are likely to persist well into the second half of 2026, but that their impacts would be difficult to predict due to global warming.

"The strength of the event doesn't always match the strength of its impact in Australia. A weaker event can have major effects, while a stronger one may not," it said.

"However, in a warming climate, past patterns are less reliable as a predictor of future impacts."

It said that the chances of drier conditions in Australia would increase if a positive Indian Ocean Dipole develops as models are suggesting.