The flood-inducing La Nina weather system is continuing to ease in the tropical Pacific, but the threat of increased rainfall remains.

The Bureau of Meteorology says while ocean temperatures have dropped from La Nina thresholds “the atmosphere has yet to respond, and remains La Nina-like”, increasing the chances of above-average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia during summer.

This is the third La Nina in a row, and severe east coast floods have occurred in February and March in the past two years.

However, a return to neutral conditions is expected next month, and this should last until at least mid-autumn.

Some experts predict that an El Nino will follow, flipping the risk to heatwaves and bushfires next summer, but the bureau says long range forecasts made during summer have low accuracy and “outlooks that extend past autumn should be viewed with caution”.