A weak and short-lived La Nina has ended after possibly keeping temperatures higher than average in southern regions recently.

“The end of the La Nina is clear in oceanic and atmospheric indices,” the Bureau of Meteorology said. “Sea surface temperatures have warmed steadily since December and are now in the neutral range.”

The combined ocean and atmosphere phenomenon, which is typically associated with wetter weather in eastern and northern regions, had relatively little effect on Australian rainfall patterns over the summer.

Neutral conditions indicate a reduced chance of prolonged very wet or dry conditions, with other climate drivers possibly having greater influence in coming months, the bureau says.