El Niño: The good, the bad and the ugly
El Niño: The good, the bad and the ugly
9 July 2009
published by blogs.usatoday.com
USA —
USA TODAY weather guy Bob Swanson reports thatEl Niño is back.
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said today that El Niño, the warming of surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, has developed and is expected to persist through the winter months.
Translation: Stronger winds over the tropical Atlantic, but maybe fewer tropical storms and hurricanes. In May, NOAA cited developing El Niño conditions in the Atlantic hurricane season forecast. Still, the agency forecast a near-normal number of named storms, nine to 14, to form in the Atlantic basin this season. Atlantic hurricane season lasts through Nov. 30.
In the USA, look for more precipitation in the arid Southwest, less wintry weather across the North and a reduced risk of Florida wildfires. The downside can include damaging winter storms in California and increased storminess in the South.
According to NOAA, El Niño occurs on average every two to five years and typically lasts about 12 months. The last one was in 2006.
