Pacific Ocean temps above typical El Nino levels

Published: 27 Oct 2009 22:24:41 PST

SYDNEY, Oct 28 - Ocean surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific have warmed further and now exceed levels typical of an El Nino event by their greatest margin of the year, Australia's weather bureau said on Wednesday.

"Climate models suggest tropical ocean temperatures will remain above El Nino thresholds until at least early 2010," said the Bureau of Meterology.

The 30-day Southern Oscillation Index (SOI, now at minus 12, was at its lowest value since 2007, it said.

A consistently negative SOI points to the development of a drought-producing El Nino. The SOI measures the pressure difference between the Pacific island of Tahiti and the Australian city of Darwin.

For the bureau's report see:

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/