An overview of the Madden-Julian oscillation and its relation to monsoon and mid-latitude circulation

In the past decade there has been extensive research into tropical intraseasonal variability, one of the major com-ponents of the low frequency variability of the general atmospheric circulation. This paper briefly reviews the state-of-the-art in this research area: the nature of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, its relation to monsoonal and extratropical circulations, and the current theoretical understandings.