Last Wednesday, the United Nations issued a warning regarding how the El Niño weather condition would rise in the coming months. This may lead to higher global temperatures and potentially new record heat levels.
El Niño
The World Meteorological Organization under the UN estimates a 60% likelihood of El Niño developing by the end of July. There is also an 80% likelihood for it to happen by the end of September.
Science Alert reports that according to Wilfran Moufouma Okia, who heads the regional climate prediction services division of the WMO, the entire world may see changes in climate and weather patterns due to this.
According to the United Nations, both El Niño and La Niña are major natural drivers of the planet's climate systems. El Niño, specifically, is a climate pattern linked to increasing heat levels across the world. This may also result in drought in certain regions and strong rain in other parts. Science Alert notes that the last time El Niño happened was in 2018 to 2019.
However, since 2020, the entire planet has gone through a remarkably long period of La Niña. This cooling climate pattern ended earlier this 2023 and has enabled more neutral conditions to dominate.
Nevertheless, the past eight years have been the warmest years ever recorded, as reported by Science Alert. This comes despite the stretching effects of La Niña. Without this cooling climate, the heat and warmth could have been way worse.
Higher Global Temperatures, New Record Heat Levels
Now, the world should brace itself for the surge of El Niño. This warming climate pattern may lead to global heat spikes and great likelihoods of record-high heat levels being broken.
Sky News reports that, at present, the WMO expressed that it could not predict the duration and strength of the El Niño.
The previous El Niño was quite weak, but the one that took place before that one was among the strongest ones that led to serious consequences. This took place from 2014 to 2016.
The WMO noted that 2016 was the warmest year on record due to the double-effects of El Niño and greenhouse gas emissions induced by humans. The WMO also adds that because the consequences of El Niño are usually felt the year after its emergence, these effects could be clearer by 2024.
Okia explains that they are expecting to see a serious surge in global temperatures in the next two years.
While the warm climate condition may lead to positive effects on some areas, it could also trigger extreme climate and weather impacts. Petteri Taalas, the chief of WMO, stresses how important it is to have early warning systems in hand in order to protect the people.
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