Geneva, Dec. 11, (dpa/GNA) – The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said that there are signs that the La Niña weather phenomenon may form, but only in a very weak form.
The chances of it developing in the next two and a half months are 55%, the WMO said in Geneva on Wednesday. La Niña usually has a cooling effect on the global climate.
La Niña, Spanish for “the girl,” is a natural phenomenon that occurs every few years. It is the opposite of El Niño, Spanish for “the boy,” in which the equatorial Pacific Ocean warms up considerably.
This affects winds, air pressure and rainfall, and thus the weather in many parts of the world. El Niño increases the global average temperature, while La Niña does exactly the opposite.
An El Niño was still detectable at the beginning of this year, but the WMO says neutral conditions have prevailed since around May, and this continues to be the case. It is already virtually certain that 2024 will be the hottest year since records began.
The WMO says that La Niña has not yet developed because there were unusually strong westerly winds between September and early November.
GNA