The World Meteorological Organization announced this Monday that for the first time in this century there could be the third consecutive episode of the La Niña climatic phenomenon. The current phenomenon began in September 2020.
This is what we know about this triple phenomenon and its effects.
What is the La Niña phenomenon?
La Niña is a phenomenon that produces a large-scale cooling of the surface waters of the central and eastern parts of the equatorial Pacific, in addition to other changes in the tropical atmospheric circulation, namely in winds, pressure and precipitation.
First triple event of the century: How long will it last?
The probability that the current La Niña episode will continue for the next six months is 70% for the period September to November 2022, although that percentage gradually decreases to 55% for the months December 2022 to February 2023. , according to the bulletin of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
“It is exceptional that a La Niña event lasts for three consecutive years. Its cooling effect is temporarily slowing the increase in global temperatures, but it will not stop or reverse the long-term warming trend,” said the secretary general. of the WMO, Petteri Taalas, according to the same document.
Effects of La Niña and affected regions
Taalas explains that the prolongation of the La Niña phenomenon has exacerbated the drought in the Horn of Africa and in the southern region of South America. On the other hand, it has also caused above-average rainfall in Southeast Asia and Australasia.
“Unfortunately, the most recent data on La Niña confirm regional climate projections that pointed to a worsening of the devastating drought in the Horn of Africa, the consequences of which will affect millions of people,” says the WMO Secretary-General.