(TheRedAlertNews.com) – An “almost unprecedented” weather pattern seems to be underway as the meteorological community anticipates the emergence of a La Niña event in the Pacific Ocean, while signs suggest that a similar phenomenon could be developing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Although conclusive data is still pending, as researchers continue to gather sea surface temperature readings through the end of August, early indications have revealed a year of notable meteorological anomalies, according to Franz Philip Tuchen, a postdoctoral associate with the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies.
This year commenced with unprecedented sea surface temperatures that soared beyond 86 degrees Fahrenheit, only to undergo a swift and significant decline.
“This type of whiplash is more dramatic than any year before,” Tuchen noted in his recent findings, cited by The Hill.
Such drastic fluctuations are rare, and Tuchen underscored their significance.
“It’s almost unprecedented in the time series that we have, and that’s longer than 40 years,” he remarked in an interview with Nexstar.
If the Atlantic’s sea temperatures stabilize at the levels recorded in June and July, this will officially mark the onset of a La Niña in the Atlantic Ocean.
This occurrence would be noteworthy, as the Atlantic has not experienced a La Niña event since the summer of 2013—over a decade ago.
Unlike their Pacific counterparts, Atlantic La Niñas are relatively rare and their effects are considerably more localized.
Tuchen elaborated on the distinctions between La Niña events in the two oceans, particularly in terms of their duration and impact.
“Another big difference between Pacific and Atlantic La Niñas is the scope of their impacts. While a Pacific La Niña has global weather implications, including all around the U.S., everything is a bit smaller with an Atlantic La Niña,” he explained.
Atlantic La Niñas typically exert influence over shorter periods and primarily affect regional climates rather than global weather patterns.
In practical terms, a pronounced La Niña in the Atlantic would predominantly affect rainfall patterns across northeastern Brazil and western Africa, areas nearest to the equatorial segment of the Atlantic.
However, it would have minimal impact on the weather conditions in the United States.
Conversely, a La Niña in the Pacific Ocean is associated with a distinct set of climatic shifts.
Typically, it brings drier, warmer conditions to the southern United States, increases precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley, and ushers in exceptionally cold temperatures in the northern states. Additionally, it can intensify hurricane activity.
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