The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted wet and cool weather for the eastern Australia while the west was forecast for dry and hot weather in early 2022. A La Nina weather event has already brought the highest November rainfall in the 122 years on record with wet weather set to continue for eastern Australia next month. "January to March rainfall is likely to be above median for eastern Queensland and elsewhere along the eastern coast of Australia. Much of this area has an increased chance of receiving rainfall in the top 20% of historical records," the BoM said in their outlook. "Conversely, scattered parts of western Australia are likely to be below median." The Bureau predicts that January to March maximum temperatures are likely to be above median for large areas of Australia - while eastern parts of NSW and Victoria are likely to be below median. Minimum temperatures for January to March are likely to be warmer than median except areas near the Great Australian Bight, according to the BoM. READ MORE: In addition, the western two thirds of Australia have an increased chance of "unusually high maximum temperatures" in the top 20 per cent of historical records from January to March. The BoM also predicted rainfall for Christmas and New Years in the fortnight from December 20, 2021 to January 2, 2022. Northern and central Queensland and isolated areas of the NSW coast are predicted for above median rainfall. Meanwhile, below median rainfall is forecast for the western half of Australia and along the southern mainland coast. Maximum temperatures are likely to be above median for the northern half of Australia extending down WA in the same fortnight. "The La Nina in the Pacific Ocean and the positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM) are likely influencing the above median rainfall outlooks," the BoM said in their outlook. La Nina occurs when east-moving trade winds go into overdrive, strengthening a process called upwelling where deep cool water is drawn up to the surface. This results in cooler-than-usual waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific near South America, while warmer waters pile up in the western Pacific near northern Australia, encouraging tropical cyclones to form there. Meanwhile, the Southern Annular Mode, or SAM, is a climate driver that can influence rainfall and temperature in Australia. The SAM refers to the (non-seasonal) north-south movement of the strong westerly winds that blow almost continuously in the mid- to high-latitudes of the southern hemisphere. This belt of westerly winds is also associated with storms and cold fronts that move from west to east, bringing rainfall to southern Australia. Want to know more about La Nina? Watch this handy explainer: