Japan weather bureau sees high possibility of La Nina

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's weather bureau said on Friday there was a high possibility that a La Nina weather pattern would emerge during the country's summer, which runs from around June to August, and continue through autumn. The Japan Meteorological Agency also said the El Nino, which had emerged in summer 2014, has ended. El Nino - a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific - can trigger drought in Southeast Asia and Australia and floods in South America, hitting production of key foods such as rice, wheat and sugar. While a La Nina can be less damaging than an El Nino, the weather event is linked to wetter conditions over much of Australia and Southeast Asia. Australian forecasters last month put the chance of a La Nina emerging in 2016 at 50 percent. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Richard Pullin)