The prospects for a hotter and drier than usual year for much of Australia are increasing, with the Bureau of Meteorology confirming more signs that an El Nino climate pattern is forming in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Surface waters in the equatorial Pacific “have warmed significantly over the past two months”, with further warming expected in coming months, the bureau said in its fortnightly update.

A full moon rises over Clovelly. An El Nino weather pattern reduces rain over eastern Australia. Credit:Wolter Peeters

Temperatures in some areas have risen half a degree in the past two weeks alone and are as much as 5 or 6 degrees above normal, said David Jones, head of climate monitoring at the bureau.

"Things are starting to move," said Dr Jones. "1997 was probably the last time we've seen such [a temperature] anomaly."