Australian September Rainfall

So, what's happening Down Under? Apparently, with the important, persistent, and very-notable exception of southwestern Australia, they are wet. It's that La Niña!:

The La Niña event in the Pacific Ocean has strengthened further over the past two weeks. All computer models surveyed by the Bureau predict the La Niña will last through the southern hemisphere spring, with the majority indicating the event will persist into at least early 2011.

La Niña indicators have consolidated in the Pacific. The central and eastern Pacific Ocean is now more than a degree cooler than the long-term mean, the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) has continued to rise, trade winds are at their strongest since 1998 and cloudiness over the central tropical Pacific remains suppressed.

La Niña periods are usually, but not always, associated with above normal rainfall during the second half of the year across large parts of Australia, most notably eastern and northern regions. Night time temperatures are historically warmer than average and Tropical Cyclone occurrence for northern Australia is typically higher than normal during the cyclone season (November-April).