It reckon like thing might finally start cooling down over the Pacific Ocean , as the near record - breaking El Niño has finallypassed its peak . Despite the weather event now being on the decline , the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ) has warned that it still remains strong and will continue to shape global climate and conditions for several months to come . It is now thought that there is a50/50 chancethat it will be followed by a La Niña , the inverse issue that will cause the Pacific to cool down down .
During El Niño , trade winds across the Pacific weaken , mean strong water that ’s commonly push to the westerly Pacific propagate back towards the Americas , warm large tract of the sea . In addition , it causes rains that are commonly center over Indonesia to disperse out . Over the past twelvemonth , the event has been influencing extreme atmospheric condition consequence seen right around the world . It hasbeen implicated indroughts , implosion therapy , and record temperatures across the United States , South America , southerly Africa , India , Indonesia and Australia , causing intellectual nourishment famine and billions of one dollar bill Charles Frederick Worth of damages .
“ We have just witness one of the most brawny ever El Niño events which caused extreme weather in countries on all Continent and help fuel record global rut in 2015,”saysWMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas . “ part of South America and East Africa are still recovering from torrential rains and flooding . The economic and human toll from drouth – which by its nature is a lento developing disaster – is becoming progressively seeming in southerly and the Horn of Africa , central America and a turn of other realm . ”
While there is still some debate as to exactly how big the atmospheric condition issue was at its peak , it is cerebrate to have been at least corresponding in strength to the current record El Niño issue of 1997 - 98 . The World Meteorological Organization predicts that it will peter out during the first one-half of this class , but that it is too other to say for sure whether or not it will be follow by a La Niña event . If this were to develop , it will likely take drought to the southern U.S. , while causing more rainfall and implosion therapy to the northern states .
But even if the bad is indeed over , we ’re not out of the woods yet . The United Nation ’s Food and Agricultural Organizationhas warnedthat big regions of southern Africa have seen the driest rainy time of year for the last 35 years , and that above average temperature are calculate to remain , perpetuate the hot and dry conditions throughout much of 2016 . This is predicted to put millions of citizenry at further danger of solid food shortages . “ We can not lower our guard as [ El Niño ] is still quite strong and in humanitarian and economic terms , its shock will keep on for many months to come,”saysTaalas .
