Warming of the Pacific in January caused important rains in the Coast region in the last month

Several provinces of the country have witnessed the ravages that the winter season is leaving with the intense rainfall that fell mainly at the end of December and January.

It is increasingly common to hear the words El Niño or La Niña phenomenon during these months. These are two climatic phenomena that in turn are opposite to each other. The International Center for the Investigation of the El Niño Phenomenon (Ciifen), last January, indicated that there were La Niña conditions in the Pacific, so it was expected that the conditions would continue in January and March and that after that date weaken.

“Precipitation forecasts for January-March 2022 estimate above-average rainfall on the Pacific coast of Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Venezuela, and in the northern region of South America. Rain below average on the coast of Ecuador, north coast of Peru, south of Brazil, south of Paraguay, Uruguay, center-south of Chile and northeast of Argentina”, it was indicated.

‘There are conditions that are being associated with the La Niña event,’ according to Inamhi coordinator

The executive director of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inamhi), Bolívar Erazo, detailed the reasons why significant rainfall has occurred despite the presence of La Niña conditions.

First of all, it is necessary to differentiate between both phenomena, which are formed by a pattern called El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño is characterized by an increase in the temperature of the sea, which leads to heavy rains due to the evaporation of water, while La Niña is the opposite, it decreases the temperature of the sea, strengthens the trade winds and decreases in rainfall, which does not mean absence of this. Both are not simultaneous phenomena.

Erazo reported that since October a sustained cooling of the ocean temperature has been identified since October of last year and that there was a peak in December off the Ecuadorian coast.

“During January 2022, the Pacific off the coast of Ecuador was warmed by warmer waters carried from the Panama area by northerly winds. This warming and therefore greater humidity has produced the important rains of recent days in the Coastal region. The Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador is projected to return to normal conditions during the winter months through mid-May. The ocean-atmospheric conditions and their effect on the rains in Ecuador will continue to be monitored, ”he added on his Twitter account.

These are the effects caused by a La Niña event in Ecuador

The Inamhi foresees that between February 6 and 8 there will be more significant rains in the continental territory. These could be accompanied by occasional thunderstorms. (I)