American meteorologists predict that there is a 60 percent chance that the La Niña weather phenomenon will return in the coming months, Report U.S. Scientists in the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Monthly Reporting. In a La Niña, the temperature of the sea water drops around the equator in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean.
According to the CPC, the La Niña forms over the next three months and lasts until the end of winter.
La Niña is an upwelling of deep, cold ocean water off the equator, in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The Gulf Stream can disrupt the climate and – depending on the temperature variation – is often associated with severe flooding in Australia and part of Southeast Asia. The west coast of the US can also experience drought. This also depends on how much the temperature decreases.
The weather phenomenon has no effect on the Netherlands, according to KNMI. However, when there is an extreme temperature deviation, this can lead to a slightly less warm year. In the most recent forecast of the CPC, this does not seem to be the case for the time being.
The last La Niña was formed between September and November 2017. It lasted until the beginning of 2018.
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