The La Niña weather pattern ended last month as Pacific Ocean temperatures rose and the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle entered a neutral state, according to the NOAA.

It was just three weeks ago that leading Australian portraitist Kirsty Neilson approached landscape artist Lucy Culliton to sit for the Archibald Prize.

Australia's weather is influenced by many climate drivers. El Niño and La Niña have the strongest influence on year-to-year climate variability for most of the country. They are part of a natural ...