El Nino Warning: Extreme Weather, Dry Conditions Expected in the Coming Months

El Nino is a climate phenomenon known for causing warmer ocean water in the central and eastern Pacific Oceans. Unlike weather seasons, the said climate pattern does not occur regularly, with reported intervals ranging from several months to a year or even longer, according to meteorologists.

The impact of the phenomenon can be felt from Australia to South America and other parts of the world.

Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an El Nino alert, warning about the arrival and potential strengthening of conditions related to the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event in the Northern Hemisphere until the 2023-2024 winter season. In the coming months, extreme weather, dry conditions, and high temperatures are expected.

NOAA El Nino Warning

On Thursday, June 8, the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued the El Nino advisory under its 'ENSO Alert System Status,' which says El Nino conditions are already present in the Northern Hemisphere and it is expected to gradually intensify starting December 2023, the onset of the winter season in the United States and other parts hemisphere.

The El Nino warning is based on the NOAA's findings about weak El Nino conditions that emerged in May 2023, wherein "above-average sea surface temperatures" intensified across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This occurred prior to the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season and the 2023 North American summer season, which both officially started on June 1.

Extreme Weather Threat

While the months of June, July, and August in North America are expected to be dominated by warm temperatures and hurricane-related events, El Nino could also intensify these weather events not only in the U.S. but in different regions and countries around the world.

Depending on the strength of El Nino, its potential impacts may include increased risk of heavy rain and drought conditions in some locations worldwide, according to NOAA's climate scientist Michelle L'Heureux, as cited by WION.

What is El Nino?

El Nino as a term is equivalent to "the Christ Child" in Spanish, which refers to the warming of the ocean surface or above-sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern parts of the tropical region of the Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Events related to the natural climate pattern can disrupt the normal weather patterns in the U.S. and other parts of the globe, the USGS adds. The pattern starts when trade winds blowing from east to west along the equatorial Pacific Ocean slow down or turns the other way around when air pressure changes, as cited by Reuters.

In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated El Nino has affected over 60 million people worldwide, particularly in eastern and southern Africa, as well as the Horn of Africa, the Caribbean, the Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America.

Extreme weather and climate events are also linked to El Nino such as severe drought, flooding, and rain, leading to food insecurity, health problems, disease outbreaks, malnutrition, respiratory disease, and heat stress, the WHO says.