The first El Niño phase of the Pacific Ocean in eight years is becoming more likely in 2023, increasing the odds of drier and warmer weather across eastern Australia.
While the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) Pacific status is currently set at El Niño Watch, defined as about a 50 per cent chance of development, one US federal government department says the true probability in recent weeks has risen closer to about 80 per cent.
