A warming El Nino event may develop in the coming months after three consecutive years of La Nina, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday while warning of a likely spike in temperatures globally this year, Hindustan Times reported.
El Nino is characterised by an unusual warming of waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Its opposite, La Nina, is defined by unusually cooler waters in the same area. The phenomenon together is called the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation). It has a high correlation with warmer summers and weaker monsoon rains in India.
WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said, “If we do now enter an El Nino phase, this is likely to fuel another spike in global temperatures…”
Taalas said the first triple-dip La Nina of the 21st century is finally coming to an end. “La Nina’s cooling effect put a temporary brake on rising global temperatures, even though the past eight-year period was the warmest on record.”
WMO’s warning comes a day after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said temperatures in March to May are likely to be severe in most parts of India.
