THE TROPICAL CIRCULATION IN THE AUSTRALIAN ASIAN REGION NOVEMBER 1995TO APRIL 1996/

A summary of the broadscale tropical circulation from 70 degrees E to 180 degrees, for November 1995 to April 1996, is presented. Weak cool ENSO conditions persisted through the season, with an apparent enhance ment of the upward branch of the Walker circulation over the Australas ian region, compared to the long-term mean. Mean sealevel pressures we re generally less than average over most of the tropical region during the period, and sea-surface temperatures were mostly warmer than clim atology. Averaged over the season, the low-level cross-equatorial and westerly monsoon flow was near average, as was the upper-level return flow. There was little evidence of any regular intraseasonal periodici ty in the active tropical convection early in the season. However, fro m the end of January, there appeared to be greater regularity, with a period of about 30 days dominating. Tropical cyclone numbers were clos e to the long-term mean.