In many places around the world it is likely to be cooler this summer than perhaps expected. But that doesn’t mean that climate change has taken a break.
Geneva (dpa) – Northwest Europe is unlikely to experience temperatures above the long-term average this summer as one of the few regions in the world. The World Weather Organization (WMO) announced this forecast based on model calculations on Tuesday.
The same applies roughly to South Asia and the northern part of South America. The people in the northern Mediterranean and in south-eastern Europe have to be prepared for a dry summer: The probability has increased that it will rain less than the long-term average (1993-2009).
Otherwise, the WMO expects air temperatures to be higher than the average between June and August in practically all of the northern hemisphere. This applies above all to the central and western part of North America, the north of Asia and the Arabian Peninsula with Saudi Arabia and the neighboring countries.
One of the reasons for the above-average temperatures is the recently observed end of the La Niña weather phenomenon. La Niña and its counterpart, El Niño, appear every few years and describe a cooling or warming of surface water in areas of the Pacific. This has global effects on the weather. Scientists expected “neutral” conditions in the tropical Pacific in the coming months, according to the WMO.
La Niña always provides a temporary cooling effect, said WMO General Secretary Petteri Taalas. “That means 2021 started relatively cool by the latest standards. But that shouldn’t lead us to believe that climate change has paused, ”he said.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210601-99-817012 / 2
