Higher-than-average rainfall is expected to continue until at least March as eastern Australia's La Nina weather pattern persists into 2011.
La Nina is associated with wetter conditions in eastern Australia and the current event is the strongest forecasters have observed since 1973.
But the weather bureau's Ryan White says the weather pattern is expected to weaken later in the year.
"We are expecting the La Nina to break down around March or April," he said.
"And then we expect it to switch probably into more of a neutral phase for 2011.
"For the next three months we're pretty confident that we should get above average rainfall across eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.
"Also. .. we do believe that we should get warmer days and nights associated with that across south-eastern Australia."