E
The terms and definitions found in the glossary relate to the science of meteorology.
For descriptions and definitions of words used in the Bureau's forecasts and warnings, please refer to Weather Words.
- East Coast Lows
- East Coast Lows are intense low-pressure systems which occur on average several times each year off the eastern coast of Australia, in particular southern Queensland, NSW and eastern Victoria.
- El Niņo
- Nowadays, the term El Niņo refers to the extensive warming of the central and eastern Pacific that leads to a major shift in weather patterns across the Pacific. In Australia (particularly eastern Australia), El Niņo events are associated with an increased probability of drier conditions.
Click here for more information. - ENSO
- Stands for El Niņo-Southern Oscillation. 'El Niņo' used here refers to the warming of the oceans in the equatorial eastern and central Pacific; Southern Oscillation is the changes in atmospheric pressure (and climate systems) associated with this warming (hence 'Southern Oscillation Index' to measure these changes). 'ENSO' is used colloquially to describe the whole suite of changes associated with an 'El Niņo' event - to rainfall, oceans, atmospheric pressure etc.
- Equatorial trough
- Zone of relatively low pressure which lies between the subtropical anticyclones of the two hemispheres.
- Evaporate
- Change from a liquid to a gas.
- Expand
- Increase in size.