Apparently, the cooling effects of La Niña are fading and the warming effects of El Niño are coming. Not happy news. Already the mighty Colorado river is dangerously low, with a reduction in hydropower and water for humans and agriculture at serious risk. And the Mightiest of all, the Mississippi is so low that its waterway transport of commerce is threatened. Here from the article:
“ In 2023, the relentless increase in global heating will continue, bringing ever more disruptive weather that is the signature calling card of accelerating climate breakdown. According to NASA, 2022 was one of the hottest years ever recorded on Earth. This is extraordinary, because the recurrent climate pattern across the tropical Pacific—known as ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)—was in its cool phase. During this phase, called La Niña, the waters of the equatorial Pacific are noticeably cooler than normal, which influences weather patterns around the world. One consequence of La Niña is that it helps keep a lid on global temperatures. This means that—despite the recent widespread heat waves, wildfires and droughts—we have actually been spared the worst. The scary thing is that this La Niña will end and eventually transition into the better-known El Niño, which sees the waters of the equatorial Pacific becoming much warmer. When it does, the extreme weather that has rampaged across our planet in 2021 and 2022 will pale into insignificance. … ” Read more from WIRED here: El Niño is coming—and the world isn’t prepared”
