El Niño climate phenomenon officially returns, expected to be historically strong
via Le Matin4 min read
The El Niño climate phenomenon has officially returned, with meteorologist Haley Thiem stating this episode could be historic. The NOAA estimates a 63% probability that El Niño will reach a very strong intensity between November and January, potentially making it one of the most intense episodes since measurements began in 1950. Thiem clarified that El Niño is not a storm or hurricane but a phenomenon affecting atmospheric currents globally. This natural climate event recurs every two to seven years, marked by changes in water temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, leading to global shifts in wind and precipitation patterns. Historically, El Niño causes or intensifies droughts in parts of the Amazon, Central America, Indonesia, and Australia, disrupts monsoons in India, and brings heavy rains to East Africa. Experts note that this phenomenon is occurring amidst human-induced global warming, and the combination could amplify the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, raising concerns for populations, water resources, agriculture, and ecosystems. The previous El Niño episode was in 2023-2024. While each El Niño is unique, general trends are observed regionally. In the Americas, it is associated with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America and the southern United States, and intense rains on the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. Conversely, it tends to cause drier conditions in Central America, parts of northern South America, and the Car
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