A La Niña watch has been issued by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand. A La Niña watch is issued when the ocean-atmosphere system is showing a trend toward La Niña, such as by an increase in trade winds, a decrease in equatorial sea surface temperatures, and an expectation for these conditions to continue.
La Niña-like patterns are developing in the Pacific and could influence our weather in the upcoming months.
Some island groups near the equator could experience low rainfall, like Kiribati, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, northern Tuvalu, Palau, the northern Marianas, and Guam.
This not-yet-operational graphic shows the trend in ocean temperatures as well as the classification of ENSO by various global climate centres.
Hope you’re well.
Ben