El Nino has peaked but still has influence
Source: Agencies |
March 31, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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THE El Nino weather pattern warming the Pacific Ocean since June has peaked, but is expected to influence climate patterns worldwide up to mid-year before dying out, the World Meteorological Organization said yesterday.
However, the United Nations agency said that forecasting uncertainties meant it could not rule out the possibility that El Nino would persist beyond mid-year.
El Nino, driven by an abnormal warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, can create havoc across the Asia-Pacific, unleashing droughts in some places and heavy storms in others.
"The most likely outcome by mid-2010 is for the El Nino event to have decayed and near-neutral conditions to be re-established across the tropical Pacific," WMO climate scientist Rupa Kumar Kolli told a news briefing.
The WMO said the current El Nino, which can occur every two to seven years, had peaked in November-December at a moderate level.
El Nino typically creates dry conditions in the western Pacific, and wetter conditions in western coastal areas of South America.
"Even during the decaying phase of the El Nino ... the conditions associated with a typical El Nino will continue to influence climatic patterns at least through the second quarter of the year," Kolli said.
However, the United Nations agency said that forecasting uncertainties meant it could not rule out the possibility that El Nino would persist beyond mid-year.
El Nino, driven by an abnormal warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, can create havoc across the Asia-Pacific, unleashing droughts in some places and heavy storms in others.
"The most likely outcome by mid-2010 is for the El Nino event to have decayed and near-neutral conditions to be re-established across the tropical Pacific," WMO climate scientist Rupa Kumar Kolli told a news briefing.
The WMO said the current El Nino, which can occur every two to seven years, had peaked in November-December at a moderate level.
El Nino typically creates dry conditions in the western Pacific, and wetter conditions in western coastal areas of South America.
"Even during the decaying phase of the El Nino ... the conditions associated with a typical El Nino will continue to influence climatic patterns at least through the second quarter of the year," Kolli said.
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