Winter across Australia in 2016 was the second wettest since records began in 1900, causing widespread flooding and damage to homes, infrastructure and crops.
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According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), two record-breaking weather phenomenon – the decline of a huge El Niño system and an extremely low Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) – caused all the rain.
At the start of 2016, Australia experienced one of the strongest El Niños on record.
Coupled with the dispersing El Niño, Australia has been feeling the effects of extremely negative IOD values, which measure the difference in sea surface temperature across the Indian Ocean.
When the IOD is negative, warm water concentrates around Australia, causing higher rainfall.
In July, the IOD recorded its largest negative value since records began.
