Australia

The current La Niña weather pattern, part of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (El Nino) weather cycle that impacts weather around the Pacific and globally, is likely to be the strongest on record, according to Professor Neville Nicholls, current President of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

Related stories on the floods in Queensland:

• Floods threaten Brisbane, one third of Queensland declared a disaster area
• Brisbane flood warnings, Great Barrier Reef lasting impact
• The Queensland big wet, big flood and climate change
• FoE: Heavy metals released into flood waters
• Wiradjuri elder warns of risk of groundwater poisoning from gold mine at Lake Cowal

ALP policy on climate change action has been strongly criticised by environment and climate action groups with protests at Julia Gillard's climate change policy launch in Brisbane, and protests at Julia Gillard's Werribee electoral office and her Melbourne Treasury Place office.

Related: Climate activists lock on at Gillard's office to protest pathetic ALP policy | Photos at Treasury Place protest