Potentially strongest El Nino in 140 years develops — Nasa Pacific Sea Level Rise
The nasa pacific sea level rise story now centers on a potentially powerful El Nino developing in the Pacific Ocean, with forecasters warning it could become one of the strongest on record. Paul Roundy said there is “real potential for the strongest El Nino event in 140 years,” while the World Meteorological Organization expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and last at least into winter.
El Nino begins when trade winds over the tropical Pacific weaken and warm water accumulates in the ocean, and Brian Tang said, “The waters are beginning to warm in the central and eastern tropical Pacific,”
Pacific warming and global reach
Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said, “By changing the tropical atmosphere, you can then change the atmosphere further away across the mid-latitudes, which is why we care about it so much, even though we're thousands and thousands of miles away potentially,” He also called El Nino “the first atmospheric domino to fall.”
The pattern can trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies across multiple regions. Scientists also warn that El Nino is likely to increase the risk of severe heat and drought conditions that fuel fires across Australia, Canada, the United States and the Amazon rainforest.
Central America, Asia and Australia
Parts of Central America, Asia, Africa and Australia often become hotter and drier during El Nino years, and Honduran authorities estimate that around 75 municipalities could face severe drought conditions. Tegucigalpa has already declared a water emergency, putting the capital under pressure before the strongest effects arrive.
Along parts of South America's Pacific coast, El Nino can bring torrential rainfall and destructive flooding. During the 2015-2016 El Nino, poor harvests left millions of people around the world in need of food assistance, and scientists say crop failures linked to the pattern have carried economic losses potentially running into the trillions.
Atlantic hurricane season
Scientists expect this year's Atlantic hurricane season to be less active than average because El Nino conditions tend to increase wind shear over the Atlantic, making it more difficult for storms to form and intensify. That makes the developing Pacific warming important not only for drought and flood risk, but also for storm planning across the Atlantic basin.
The next step is the arrival of El Nino conditions that the World Meteorological Organization expects soon, with the pattern set to continue at least into winter.
