World braces for potential La Niña return by September, warns WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated that a La Niña event could begin influencing global climate patterns as early as September. This climate phenomenon is characterized by the large-scale cooling of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Despite its cooling influence, the UN agency emphasizes that the majority of the globe is still expected to experience above-average temperatures due to the overarching effect of human-induced climate change.
La Niña is known to trigger extreme weather variability worldwide, including increased rainfall and flooding in some regions and severe drought in others. These shifts pose a significant threat to agricultural production and food security.
With climate conditions having been neutral since March, the WMO’s latest forecast now assigns a 55% probability for the development of La Niña during the September-November period.
The organization stresses that accurate seasonal forecasts are vital for proactive planning, helping to mitigate economic losses in key sectors like agriculture, energy, and transport, and ultimately saving lives through improved preparedness.
