* Weak La Nina cycle finished, as expected - Australia BOMAustralia's weather bureau said on Tuesday a La Nina weather event that began in December has ended, and there are no clear indications that an El Nino or La Nina event will develop in coming months.
* Brought much-needed wet summer to Australia
* Seen boosting beef, wheat, sugar output
The La Nina brought near-perfect conditions for the country's graziers and sugarcane growers over the summer, while forecasts for wheat output have been revised higher.
La Nina events occur when sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean drop to lower-than-normal levels, leading to stormier, colder winters in Asia's northern hemisphere, and warmer, wet summers in the southern hemisphere.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology predicted in December that the La Nina cycle would be weak and shortlived, and on Tuesday reset its La Nina outlook to "inactive".
Still, rains have covered swathes of the country since bringing floods in the northeast, giving some respite from drought for cattle ranchers and allowing them to rebuild herds which dwindled as pastureland died back....MORE
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
ENSO: "Australia weather bureau says summer La Nina has ended"
From Reuters via Ag.com:
