THE next two months are likely to be wetter than noimal in some tropical regions of the continent, according to the latest forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology. These predictions are based on Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) trends and recent rainfall patterns - a systemwhich begins to show a decline in skill level or reliability at this time of year. The value of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) for December 1996 was +7, a rise of seven points from November. This continues the pattern of mostly small positive SOI values experienced during the past year. Observations of wind and temperature from the tropical Pacific Ocean are consistent with a La Nina.
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