Bleak warning Australia's spell of wild weather is not over as dreaded La Niña makes a possible return

Australians have been warned La Niña could return and bring plenty of rain in a further blow for the country after it experienced one of its wettest starts to the year.

Sky News Australia meteorologist Rob Sharpe predicted there is a very high chance of a 'dramatic swing' to La Niña conditions in the coming months. 

Eastern Australia recorded its wettest period between December and March since 2010 after 24 per cent more rain than normal fell in the region. 

Mr Sharpe's forecast predicts even more rain is on the way.  

'If La Niña develops it would likely bring wetter than usual weather to much of Australia – particularly the tropics, centre and southeastern inland regions,' he said.

According to Mr Sharpe, the west and far south of Australia will most likely escape the worst of La Niña.

The Bureau of Meteorology has officially declared that El Niño is over, with oceanic and atmospheric conditions returning to normal.  

This neutral weather phase should result in drier weather for the next few months, before a change brought on by the arrival of La Niña.  

La Niña occurs when equatorial trade winds become stronger, changing ocean surface currents, drawing cooler deep water up from the the ocean depths.

They usually occur every three to five years, but can occur over a number of consecutive years. 

Typically, La Niña sees a shifting of rainfall patterns towards South East Asia and Australia and a strengthening of the easterly equatorial winds. 

This results in increased rainfall over most of Australia and areas south of the tropics experiencing cooler daytime temperatures as well as more tropical cyclones and an earlier onset of monsoon season. 

Other weather agencies have also been forecasting the possibility of a La Niña event.

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated the odds of a La Niña occurring are at around 85 per cent.

There are concerns the coming La Niña event will bring more wild weather following months of heavy rain that has already caused flooding and mass blackouts. 

Earlier this month, the eastern states were smashed by a Black Nor'easter, a freak mega rain bomb that brought wild winds and flash flooding on April 5.

This resulted in some areas deluged with a month's worth of rainfall in just one day. 

The massive rainfall and high winds also caused chaos at airports, on the roads and rail networks. 

More than 100 flights into and out of Sydney's domestic and international airports were cancelled due to the extreme weather.

The devastating floods led to mass evacuation orders, with over 150 people needing to be rescued from rising floodwaters in NSW.

At the height of the ferocious weather, the NSW State Emergency Service received 4,128 calls for assistance in just 24 hours.  

The epic floods tragically resulted in the death of a 71-year-old man in South East Queensland.

The man drowned when his ute was washed away by floodwaters south of Brisbane. 

Other drivers were rescued in an another incident in the same area. The weather event resulted in record rainfalls in Queensland. 

On April 7, the north Brisbane suburb of Burpengary was hit with 133mm of rain in just one hour and the storm dumped 153mm on Greenbank, south east of Brisbane.

A person was rescued from a sinking vehicle in floodwaters near Caboolture. The driver was assisted by paramedics, but declined medical treatment. 

Torrential rain also caused widespread flash flooding in Victoria earlier this month, resulting in road closures across the state.

A woman in Daylesford had a miracle escape after falling into a flooded stormwater drain on April 1.

She was swept along by raging water as it rose up to her neck. She managed to cling to a pole before climbing out of the drain.

The Victorian SES received over 500 emergency callouts on April 1, responding to 113 flooding events in homes and businesses and 260 damaged buildings.

Over 2,000 homes in eastern Victoria were hit with power outages.

The wild weather came after Australia experienced one of its wettest periods between December and March.

In December 2023, an 'unprecedented' cyclonic storm ripped through Queensland's southeast on Christmas and Boxing Day bringing torrential rain, damaging winds and storms. 

The wild storms killed 10 people, including nine-year-old Mia Holland-McCormack who died on Boxing Day after being swept into a drain by flood waters in Rochedale South, in southeast Brisbane. 

The victims also included Brisbane Rugby identity David 'Mario' Logan and schoolteacher Stephen 'Taity' Tait who were killed after a boat holding 11 people capsized near Green Island, in Moreton Bay, at about 5.30pm on Boxing Day.