By Zoila Palma: An unusually strong El Niño is rapidly developing in the tropical Pacific and could become the strongest recorded since at least 1950, according to computer model projections.
The climate pattern is already beginning to influence weather around the world, giving forecasters increased confidence in predicting potential conditions over the next one to two years, CNN reports.
El Niño occurs when ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific become warmer than average, releasing large amounts of heat into the atmosphere and altering weather patterns far beyond the Pacific.
Scientists caution, however, that a record-strength El Niño does not necessarily mean every region will experience more extreme weather. Instead, a stronger event increases the likelihood that typical El Niño-related effects, known as “teleconnections,” will occur.
Potential impacts include drought in Indonesia and Australia, a drier-than-normal summer monsoon in India and varying risks of drought and heavy rainfall across parts of Africa.
Experts say the unusually strong and persistent signal could make seasonal weather patterns more predictable and provide governments with valuable time to prepare for potential heat waves, droughts, floods and disruptions to food supplies.
The post International News: Strong El Niño could bring greater weather impacts and improve seasonal forecasting appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: An unusually strong El Niño is rapidly developing in the tropical Pacific and could become the strongest recorded since at least 1950, according to computer model projections. The climate pattern is already beginning to influence weather around the world, giving forecasters increased confidence in predicting potential conditions over the next one to
The post International News: Strong El Niño could bring greater weather impacts and improve seasonal forecasting appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
