The common question I am hearing from growers is, “If it can get that hot in Spring, how hot can it get in Summer? The good news is that the most significant impacts for Australia are in winter and spring, not summer as commonly thought. Historically, El Niño’s influence on Australia’s weather normally diminishes by January, with a noticeable exception being summer 1982/83, which was notoriously hot and dry until the end of February. El Niño’s effect, particularly on rain, lessens during summer, with no clear wet or dry trend across Australia. Though temperatures may be above average, they’re milder than in winter and spring.”. So, whilst we can expect less rain in Spring below the median, it does not mean that we will expect less rain throughout the summer. However, we know how heat and rain can affect produce (specifically Berries), so we are still cautious about what the summer will bring. Below is a comparison of rain from 13 previous classic El Niño events, showing that after a dry winter/spring, the chance of a wet summer is 50/50. (Source BOM)