Outlook is in contrast to a US government weather forecast, which said La Nina conditions were no longer likely
TOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Japan's weather bureau said on Friday that it estimates that a La Nina weather pattern emerged last month and that there was a 70 percent possibility that the phenomenon would last through the winter months of December to February.
La Nina, which tends to occur unpredictably every two to seven years, is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The outlook is in contrast to a U.S. government weather forecast, which said on Thursday that La Nina conditions were no longer likely to develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2016/17, saying neutral conditions were more likely.
(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Richard Pullin)
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