Southern hemisphere circulation patterns and associated anomalies for the austral autumn 2003 are reviewed, with emphasis given to the Pacific Basin climate indicators and Australian rainfall and temperature patterns. Autumn 2003 saw the complete demise of the El Niño event which began about one year earlier. Sustained cooling of surface waters occurred in the central to eastern tropical Pacific, and negative anomalies were widespread in the tropical Pacific sub-surface. Averaged over the season, the Walker circulation was enhanced and the amount of cloud around the equatorial dateline was generally close to average for the time of year. Australian rainfall patterns returned to something closer to average, although seasonal falls in many instances were insufficient to provide a clear break to the severe drought conditions. Maximum temperatures were above average over large parts of the country, but there was close to an even split between positive and negative anomalies for seasonal minima.
G.S. Beard (Mon,) studied this question.