2021 Long-range Outlook
The latest IRI Enso outlook is unchanged since February (RHS). Still not a strong signal for La Niña to meet thresholds, but none-the-less El Niño still a long-shot for 2021 at this stage.
ENSO Modoki, one of the few autumn drivers statistically significant during winter crop planting, although weakening, is showing a continuation of the current wet signal. This is encouraging for much of northern Australia and the central-eastern Australian cropping belt. We need to keep an eye on this. The current signal is holding on the right side of neutral.
The Indian Ocean Dipole outlook is inherently erratic this time of year. The current JAMSTEC IOD outlook is not offering much and looks to be quite close to zero in the neutral range.
The chart above shows higher-than-normal probabilities (blue line - red arrow) of the La Niña hanging around. In the critical spring months, the board Nino3.4 indicator shows a possible La Nina return. https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/enso/current/?enso_tab=enso-cpc_plume
JAMSTEC Modoki outlook 2021 (12 March 2021)
The scientists at JAMSTEC developed the Modoki index. The red line is the mean of the model run. It shows this driver in neutral-wet phase through our Autumn and winter, which can do nothing but good for rainfall prospects!
Forecast chart courtesy: https://iri.columbia.edu/our-expertise/climate/forecasts/seasonal-climate-forecasts/