The meteorological phenomenon La Nina, which has influenced global temperatures and exacerbated drought and flooding, is expected to last for months, if not years, according to the United Nations. La Nina is a large-scale cooling of surface temperatures that occurs every two to seven years in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) of the United Nations stated there’s a 70% probability the lengthy La Nina event, which has gripped the planet virtually nonstop since September 2020, will last through at least August.
It noted in a statement that “some long-lead estimates even anticipate that it might persist through 2023.”
If it does, it will be only the third so-called triple-dip La Nina on record since 1950, according to the World Meteorological Organization. A triple-dip La Nina occurs when the phenomena occur over three consecutive northern hemisphere winters.
The effect has far-reaching effects on weather around the world—typically the polar opposite of the El Nino phenomenon, which causes global temperatures to rise.
The terrible drought devouring the Horn of Africa and the drought in southern South America, according to the World Meteorological Organization, “carry the markings of La Nina.”
It also suggested that the phenomena could be linked to above-average rainfall in Southeast Asia and Australia, as well as forecasts for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season.
However, it stated that the effects of naturally existing climate events such as La Nina were intensifying as a result of global warming.
“Human-caused climate change intensifies the impacts of naturally occurring occurrences like La Nina and is increasingly influencing our weather patterns,” said WMO chief Petteri Taalas.
“Intense heat and drought, as well as record-breaking deluges of rainfall and flooding,” he said, “as well as record-breaking deluges of rainfall and flooding.”
