Photo taken on Aug 15, 2022 shows a view of Cijara reservoir in Extremadura, Spain. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

SYDNEY - Australia's weather bureau said on Tuesday the chances of an El Nino weather event remained likely in coming weeks, which could bring hotter, drier weather.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said in a release it was maintaining a weather alert that it said implied a 70 percent chance of the El Nino occurring

El Nino, characterized by elevated sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is associated with extreme weather phenomena, from tropical cyclones to intense rainfall and prolonged droughts.

ALSO READ: How El Nino is helping drive heatwaves and extreme weather

The World Meteorological Organization said last month the weather pattern had emerged in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said in a release it was maintaining a weather alert that it said implied a 70 percent chance of the phenomenon occurring.

ALSO READ:Temperatures seen surging as El Nino weather pattern returns

"When El Nino Alert criteria have been met in the past, an El Nino event has developed around 70 percent of the time," it said.

El Nino typically suppresses rain in eastern Australia, which poses a risk to the region's wheat crop.