Circulation anomalies during winter wet and dry periods in Central Chile as determined by ECMWF analysis

Rainfall during the wet season (June-August) in central Chile has been linked to the interannual variability of the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific. Anomalously wet conditions prevail during El Nino episodes, while a rainfall deficit is typical during La Niña events. In the present study the validity of this relationship is examined at a shorter intraseasonal timescale, using a daily rainfall index to represent the precipitation in the region 32.5ºS - 35.0ºS and daily global ECMWF re-analysis and OLR data to characterize circulation anomalies during wet and dry periods.