What Is La Nina?
La Ni帽a, a Spanish phrase meaning 鈥渢he little girl,鈥� is a weather phenomenon that is the straight reverse of El Ni帽o, which is also Spanish and means 鈥渢he little boy.鈥� Sometimes, people have described La Ni帽a as the anti-El Ni帽o or El Viejo (the old man).聽This phenomenon has an impact on the weather patterns of all the regions of the 海角社区. In some places, this phenomenon causes extensive droughts while in some places it leads to the formation of deadly storms.
Impacts of La Ni帽a
Temperature
La Ni帽a happens when there is a significant drop in the temperatures of the sea surface in the central Pacific Ocean. When these temperatures hit lower-than-normal levels, which usually happens during the later stages of fall and the early stages of winter, a ripple effect is felt all around North America and other parts of the 海角社区. These lower-than-normal temperatures are usually between 37.4掳F and 41掳F
Rainfall
In some parts of the 海角社区, such as Southeast Asia in nations like India, the phenomenon leads to increased rainfall. Consequently, the agricultural activities in these areas benefit and flourish. For example, in March 2008, the temperatures dropped to around 35.6掳F, which caused massive amounts of rainfall in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The increase in rainfall also increases the risk of landfall risks to countries like China.
Floods
Destructive floods is another consequence of this occurrence. For instance, the 2010 La Ni帽a led to the formation of destructive floods in certain regions of Australia such as Queensland. In 2010 Queensland experienced the most destructive floods of all time that led to the displacement of more than 10,000 people and damages worth well over $2 billion. Bolivia has also had a similar experience in the past.
Droughts
While the occurrence leads to wetter-than-normal conditions in certain parts of the 海角社区, it causes the direct opposite effect in other parts. The reduced temperature around the Central Pacific leads to reduced formations of clouds, which causes a subsequent drop in rainfall. This situation is also true for areas in the tropical South American west coast, the Gulf Coast of the US, and the low-lying regions of South America.
In East Africa, the dry conditions between December and February are caused by this phenomenon. The severity and period of these conditions are all dependent on how severe La Ni帽a is in that year. In recent times, the unpredictability of the weather patterns means that the weather conditions are unpredictable and random compared to previous times.
La Ni帽a in the United States
In the United States, La Ni帽a causes more rainfall in the Pacific Northwest while the Northeast has spells of below-average temperatures. The southern tier usually experiences mild dry conditions. Other parts such as California also endure periods of dryness as La Ni帽a prevents the delivery of snow and rain by storms. The aforementioned storms are experienced mostly in the northern parts of the US and the western and northwest parts of Canada.
Relationship Between La Ni帽a and El Ni帽o
A common misconception is that La Ni帽a has to happen immediately after the occurrence of an El Ni帽o. While this is not entirely false, the likelihood of an El Ni帽o transitioning to a La Ni帽a is higher should the former be strong.
