The La Niña weather phenomenon, which has a significant impact on the global weather, can bring with it even more hurricanes.
El Niño is predicted to turn into La Niña possibly as early as June, says World Meteorological Organization WMO.
What does this mean?
El Niño and La Niña are weather phenomena that significantly affect the Earth’s weather. Simply put, El Niño warms and La Niña cools the Pacific Ocean.
El Niño and La Niña vary in cycles of 2–7 years, and usually last about a year.
Research professor at the Department of Meteorology Aleksi Nummelin according to the transition to La Niña affects, among other things, rain areas in the Pacific Ocean. For example, in Southeast Asia and the Amazon region, rainfall is more likely.
In addition, La Niña often sees more hurricanes than normal.
– I’m excitedly waiting for that hurricane season. It will be interesting to see how it develops from there, Nummelin says.
For example, the US Government’s Climate Research Institute predicts a more active hurricane season for the Atlantic Because of La Niña. The Atlantic hurricane season often lasts from the beginning of June to the end of November.
Finland is not directly affected
Although La Niña has a significant impact on the Earth’s weather, according to Nummelin, its effects do not reach Finland much.
– In this sense, Finland is perhaps fortunately a little further away, so it does not directly affect the weather in Finland.
However, a Finnish vacationer may have to experience the effects of La Niña, for example, when traveling to Southeast Asia or the Caribbean.
– For example, precisely as rainfall in the direction of Southeast Asia and on the other hand as a more active hurricane season in the Caribbean, Nummelin says.
Climate change is estimated to intensify the effects of La Niña as well as El Niño.
However, according to the WMO, the latest forecasts give equal chances for neutral conditions during the summer of 2024. However, the possibility of La Niña conditions increases throughout the year.
The possibility of El Niño developing again during this period is negligible.
Cooler average temperature
Last year was the hottest in the recorded history of the Earth. One of the contributing factors was the El Niño that started last June, which was already strengthened by climate change.
El Niño affects drought and heat in Southeast Asia, for example. Also in South and North America, the rains and with them the floods often increase during it.
So which is better, El Niño or La Niña?
– Often El Niño is perhaps the more difficult phase for humanity than La Niña, where the regional effects are often more positive, says Nummelin.
For example, according to Nummelin, it is unlikely that during La Niña we will see the same temperature records as last year during El Niño.
– We will probably move to slightly cooler temperatures on a global level. Of course, that does not mean that records cannot be exceeded locally, Nummelin points out.