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Empresas y finanzas

Australian weather bureau says El Nino developing


    SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's official weather bureau reported more evidence of a developing El Nino weather pattern, saying its Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) for the 30 days to August 3 was at plus 0.5, down from plus 12 on July 19.

    The SOI, an indicator of an El Nino, has been falling rapidly for the past two weeks, the bureau said on Wednesday.

    A consistently negative SOI would point to the development of an El Nino, which can bring drought to Australia and weaken Asian monsoons, hurting crop and livestock production.

    The SOI measures the pressure difference between the Pacific island of Tahiti and the Australian city of Darwin.

    The bureau said that if warm conditions in the Pacific persisted, 2009 was likely to be considered an El Nino year.

    For the bureau's report see: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/

    (Reporting by James Thornhill; Editing by Mark Bendeich)