Havoc in poor countries and commodities markets is inevitable
of praying for more rain, Californians unexpectedly found themselves wishing for less this week, when tropical storm Hilary blew in from Mexico on August 21st. Rainfall records were smashed in Los Angeles and San Diego. Death Valley, farther inland, was deluged with as much rain in a day as it normally receives in a year. Inundated roads completely cut off the nearby city of Palm Springs for a time.
Peruvian fishermen named this phenomenon after the baby Jesus because it tends to reach its peak around Christmas. It is of more than passing interest to them: the vast shimmering shoals ofon which their livelihood depends prefer colder water, and so vanish when El Niño appears. No two El Niños are the same, but some general patterns exist. Broadly speaking, the Amazon Basin, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, the Sahel, South-East Asia and southern Africa often suffer drier conditions; Central and East Asia, the Horn of Africa, the southern cone of South America and the southern United States tend to get wetter . Sometimes, the consequences can be devastating.
Three factors are likely to compound this El Niño, bringing new extremes. First, it arrives right on the heels of three consecutive years of La Niña, the inverse of El Niño, when winds propel warm Pacific water more strongly than usual westward, towards Asia, temporarily reducing global temperatures. The wind patterns that dominate during La Niña tend to push heat deeper into the ocean. Some of that heat resurfaces during subsequent El Niños.
“I am confident that 2024 will be unprecedented in terms of global temperatures,” says Dr Scaife. Currently, the planet is 1.26°C warmer than before the invention of the steam engine. As a rule of thumb, climatologists say, every degree of warming in the Niño 3.4 region during an El Niño temporarily adds 0.07°C to global average temperatures. A strong or very strong event could therefore push the total rise in the average temperature to 1.4°C.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cindy Beale makes makes big return to EastEnders but fans fume at her lack of screen timeEASTENDERS fans are furious at the lack of Cindy Beale in this week’s episodes. The BBC soap is airing two nights of two episodes this week as sports play havoc with the schedules. And while this w…
Read more »
Synching your skincare with your cycle could be the answer to period skinHormones can play havoc on your skin, but have you ever considered adjusting your skincare routine to suit your cycle? We’ve got the expert low down on exactly how to do it
Read more »
Glasgow McDonald's workers pressed panic alarm after rowA THUG who threw a metal stand at McDonald's workers in a row over ordering food has been jailed for 13 months.
Read more »
British Museum 'ignored' art dealer who sounded alarm about stolen treasuresMuseum bosses reportedly told the art dealer 'there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing' and the 'collection was protected'.
Read more »
The obscure signs of deadly meningitis you might notice as your alarm goes offMENINGITIS is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spine and can be very serious if not treated quickly. But people often mistake it for flu as many of the symptoms overlap. Some of …
Read more »
Lily Allen rushed off stage as theatre is evacuated after fire alarmMartin McDonagh's revival of the show stars Lily Allen, who was rushed off stage after a fire alarm went off.
Read more »