Southern hemisphere circulation patterns and associated anomalies for the austral winter 2001 are reviewed, with emphasis given to the Pacific Basin climate indicators and Australian rainfall and temperature patterns. Spring 2000 and summer 2000/01 saw the development of a positive phase of the Southern Oscillation, the third such positive phase in as many years. By autumn 2001, the Southern Oscillation had returned to a neutral state, which persisted through the winter of 2001
Fawcett et al. (Sun,) studied this question.