SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Warmer than normal temperatures in the Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia, and an expected La Niña weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, will result in a wetter than average spring for most of Australia, officials said on Thursday.
Australia's weather bureau said that following one of the top-10 warmest winters on record, much of Australia could expect above average rainfall in the coming months and daytime temperatures would likely be below average throughout the south.
But warmer than average conditions were likely for the north. A "catastrophic" fire danger warning was issued on Wednesday for the city of Darwin in the Northern Territory, the first such fire rating there this fire season.
"Overall, generally looking wetter across much of the east in Australia and looking a lot warmer across northern Australia are as well," Bureau of Meteorology climate operations manager Andrew Watkins said.
Australia's spring season runs from September to November.
Earlier this month, the bureau pegged the chance of an La Niña developing at 70 percent, three times the average likelihood.
La Niña weather events are typically associated with tropical cyclones and cooler and cloudier spring days in Australia.