The El Niño meteorological phenomenon, with consequences for the entire planet by causing extreme weather events, has begun, the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported Thursday.
It is characterized by the warming of the surface of the equatorial eastern Pacific Ocean and occurs every 2 to 7 years on average.
“Depending on its strength, El Niño can cause a variety of impacts, including increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and drought in some parts of the world.”said NOAA climatologist Michelle L’Heureux, adding that it could also bring record temperatures.
“Climate change can exacerbate or mitigate certain impacts related to El Niño. For example, El Niño could generate new temperature records”, he explained.
In May, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicted that the period 2023-2027 would be the hottest ever recorded on Earth, under the combined effect of El Niño and global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
The opposite phenomenon, La Niña, which on the contrary tends to cause a drop in temperatures, arrived three years ago.
In general, El Niño tends to moderate hurricane activity in the Atlantic, but favors it in the Pacific, according to NOAA.
Australia warned this week that El Nino will increase temperatures in a country already vulnerable to bushfires.
The influence of the phenomenon in the United States is weak during the summer, but more pronounced from late autumn to spring, NOAA states in its statement.
Source: AFP
Source: Gestion
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