The El Niño weather pattern has started to lose strength, but will continue to fuel above-average temperatures around the world, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday.
El Niño is a climate phenomenon caused by changes in wind patterns, resulting in warmer temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Occurring every 2-7 years and lasting 9-12 months, the phenomenon causes extreme weather effects such as fires, cyclones and droughts.
Claire Nullis, WMO spokeswoman, said the current phenomenon reached its peak in December and experts would consider it one of the five strongest in history.
“Now it is gradually weakening, but it will obviously continue to impact the global climate in the coming months,” she told reporters in Geneva.
“We expect above-normal temperatures in the coming months, between March and May, and in general in most land areas.”
El Niño and greenhouse effect: Culprits for temperature records, WMO warns
In separate comments, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said El Niño partially contributed to recent temperature records in the world.
Saulo stated that every month since June 2023 has been a temperature record, making 2023 the hottest year. “El Niño contributed to these record temperatures, but heat-trapping greenhouse gases are unequivocally the main culprit,” he added.
There is about a 60% chance of El Niño persistence from March to May and an 80% chance of neutral conditions, without both, from April to June. La Niña could form later in the year, but the chances are uncertain, according to the WMO, due to cooling in the Pacific.
Source: Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | Notícias Agrícolas
