La Nina Arrives, Threatening to Stoke Droughts and Roil Markets
California and Brazil may get drier, while the Atlantic hurricane season could see more late-season storms as a result.
Dry land surrounds farmlands along the Pardo River during a drought in Caconde, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, on Aug. 24.
Photographer: Jonne Roriz/BloombergA weather-roiling La Nina appears to have emerged across the equatorial Pacific, setting the stage for worsening droughts in California and South America, frigid winters in parts of the U.S. and Japan and greater risks for the world’s already strained energy and food supplies.
The phenomenon—which begins when the atmosphere reacts to a cooler patch of water over the Pacific Ocean—will likely last through at least February, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. There is a 57% chance it be a moderate event, like the one that started last year, the center said. While scientists may need months to confirm whether La Nina has definitely returned, all the signs are indicating it’s here.