The convection phase of the Madden Julian oscillation stretches across Maritime Continent and responsible for an active tropical cyclone pattern affecting Australia including Cateogry-2 Tropical Cyclone Megan on the North Coast. As the MJO shifts eastward and across the equatorial Pacific, the 5th such MJO surge since last September, a wetter pattern for Brazil and the Midwest U.S. generates in 8-14 days.

During meteorological winter, the northern hemisphere received mostly a wetter soil moisture signature largely due to the influence of El Nino. In the U.S., most of the western half of the U.S. observed a wet soil moisture trend. Similarly, the U.S. East Coast trend was wetter particularly in the Northeast Corridor. The drier tendency in the Midwest continued.