La Nina Partly To Blame For Global Flooding

(Newsroom America) -- In some parts of the world severe flooding is occurring, as very heavy rain and landslides affect regions of Australia, Brazil and much of Sri Lanka, with the La Nina weather pattern to blame to at least some of it, forecasters say.

The British Met Office said some speculation has surrounded the meteorological reasons for the severe weather, these include a near record La Nima event with colder than normal ocean waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

For the Australian state of Queensland, it said there is strong evidence to suggest that La Nina is the main reason for the ongoing widespread flooding. The current floods are also the worst since 1974 - which coincided with the strongest La Nina on record.

Further afield, the links with rainfall patterns and La Nina become more uncertain. In Sri Lanka, historical records show that there is no clear link between La Nina and heavy rain. However, the Met Office said the current La Nina extends further west than usual and this is associated with a westward shift in rainfall patterns in the region. Sri Lanka is on the very western edge of this rain.

Meanwhile, the flooding and landslides in southern parts of Brazil are thought not to be directly associated with La Nina.

"These extreme conditions can be put down to the variable nature of our global weather patterns," it said.

(C) Newsroom America 2011