The combination of the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole and approaching El Nino is likely to make a bad drought in Australia worse during spring into early summer.

Sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) patterns are a reaction to internal ocean dynamics and the long-term climate pattern and help to explain current weather and project future climate to 1-3 months. There are many regional SSTA patterns present now affecting in a dramatic way the global climate.

Close monitoring of the solar cycle intensity is required as the unusually lengthy and intense solar minimum occurring in 2007-10 followed by a weak solar maximum in 2012-14 is apparently being followed another (at onset) unusually weak solar minimum in 2018.

Much of the northern hemisphere observed historic heat including most of Europe and the U.S. West Coast during July 2018. The hot temperatures are attributed in-part by anomalous warm ocean surface temperatures in the middle latitudes causing the atmosphere to warm extending downwind across land masses. The upper ridge areas are persistent, cause dryness and following heat. The phenomena is somewhat unrelated to El Nino southern oscillation.