GENEVA: The return of the cooling La Nina weather phenomenon this year should help lower temperatures somewhat after months of global heat records, the United Nations’ weather agency said Monday (Jun 3).
The impact is likely to be felt in the next few months because the warming El Nino weather pattern – which has helped fuel a spike in global temperatures and extreme weather around the world since mid-2023 – “is showing signs of ending”, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization said in its latest update
The WMO warned, however, that global temperatures would continue to rise in the long term due to human-induced climate change, which continues to make extreme weather worse and upend seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns.
La Nina refers to the cooling of the ocean surface temperatures in large swathes of the tropical Pacific Ocean, coupled with winds, rains and changes in atmospheric pressure
In many locations, especially in the tropics, La Nina produces the opposite climate impacts to El Nino, which heats up the surface of the oceans, leading to drought in some parts of the world and triggering heavy downpours elsewhere.
The WMO said there was a “60 per cent” chance of La Nina conditions in the period from July to September and a “70 per cent” likelihood during August-November
The WMO said there was a “60 per cent” chance of La Nina conditions in the period from July to September and a “70 per cent” likelihood during August-November.
