Despite the upcoming transition from El Nino to La Nina, 2024 remains one of the hottest years on record, according to Tom Di Liberto from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. El Nino and La Nina represent distinct patterns in the trade winds that circulate around the equator, with El Nino resulting in warmer waters in the eastern Pacific affecting North and South America and La Nina strengthening the trade winds impacting weather patterns in Asia and the Pacific.
Current forecasts suggest that El Nino will soon give way to La Nina, with a high likelihood of the transition occurring before June. This shift is expected to have significant implications for global weather patterns, particularly in terms of storm activity in the Atlantic. The upcoming La Nina is predicted to result in a particularly active hurricane season due to unusually warm Atlantic surface temperatures and calming upper-level winds during La Nina, which allows storms to form and intensify more easily.
The CSU Tropical Weather and Climate Research Group anticipates an above-average number of named storms and major hurricanes during this season, similar to previous years with high storm activity such as 2010 and 2020. As scientists closely monitor these changes, preparations are being made to mitigate potential impacts of the upcoming La Nina climate pattern on various regions.
