El Niño is Here; Get Ready for a Big One

Summary:

• El Niño, a recurring climate pattern, is back, and experts expect it to be a significant event with potential global consequences.
• During El Niño, warm water shifts to the east, causing ascending motion over the central Pacific and descending motion over the maritime continent, resulting in drought and wildfire risks for Southeast Asia and northern South America.
• El Niño's impact extends to East Africa, bringing heavy rain and relief from drought in Somalia, Kenya, and eastern Ethiopia, but also raising the risk of flooding.
• Other parts of Africa, like northern Ethiopia and southern Africa, may experience suppressed rain and severe droughts if El Niño persists.
• El Niño's duration and strength will become clearer later in the year, and its effects usually peak between October and February.

The Pacific Ocean is experiencing the return of El Niño, and experts predict it will be a substantial event with far-reaching consequences. This weather phenomenon has the potential to cause droughts in Brazil and southern Africa, as well as floods in east Africa and the southern United States.

El Niño, a recurring climate pattern, disrupts weather systems across the globe every few years. This time, experts are observing exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial east Pacific, indicating a strong El Niño event. The tropical Pacific Ocean plays a crucial role in this phenomenon. The sun heats up the water, and winds usually push the warm water into the western Pacific, creating a massive warm pool around the maritime continent of Indonesia. This warm water leads to rising motion, cloud formation, and heavy rainfall, essential for the region's ecosystems. However, during El Niño, the winds that push the warm water west weaken, initiating the first stage of this phenomenon. The warmest water in the Pacific shifts to the east, leading to ascending motion over the central Pacific and descending motion over the maritime continent. As a result, Southeast Asia and northern South America face a risk of drought, crop losses, and wildfires due to dry air descending over these regions.

Although forecasts for El Niño are not guarantees, the potential for extreme weather events is heightened in many parts of the world. Governments and communities should prepare for the possible impacts of this powerful climate phenomenon.