IS A RARE HEAT PHENOMENON RETURNING? "El Niño" Breaks All Temperature Records, Are We Facing the Hottest Year in History
An atmospheric-oceanic phenomenon known as El Niño could form later this year, which could lead to record high temperatures. The chance of El Niño developing between July and September is 50 to 60 percent, according to data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as reported by Phys.org.
TL;DR
- El Niño, a climate pattern linked to record high temperatures, has a 50-60% chance of developing between July and September.
- El Niño and La Niña are phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural climate pattern in the tropical Pacific.
- El Niño can weaken trade winds, warm the Pacific Ocean, and temporarily raise global temperatures.
- Years with El Niño events are often among the warmest on record; the last one contributed to 2023 being the second-hottest year and 2024 being a record-breaker.
- Scientists predict that 2026 or 2027 could be another record-breaking year if El Niño develops.
- La Niña, the cooler counterpart, has opposite effects on global weather and has not prevented recent years from being exceptionally warm.
- NOAA has updated its monitoring method for El Niño and La Niña from the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) to the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) due to ocean warming.