Ed Hawkins: Two possible futures from 2025 onwards: one with rapid action to reduce emissions and one with delayed actions. Global Warming Stripes for 1850 to 2100.
It is the 18th month in the last 19 where average global air surface temperatures were more than 1.5C above the 1850-1900 level.
The hottest January across the whole planet ~ accompanied by all time record cold & snow in southeast USA, warmest & coldest ever January temperatures in China. February greets us with record snowfall in Japan ~ 120cm in 12 hours.
La Niña
La Niña means Little Girl in Spanish. La Niña is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply “a cold event.” La Niña has the opposite effect of El Niño. During La Niña events, trade winds are stronger than usual, pushing warmer water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.
These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane season.
During La Niña, waters off the Pacific coast are colder and contain more nutrients than usual. This environment supports more marine life and attracts more cold-water species, like squid and salmon, to places like the California coast.
El Niño
During El Niño, trade winds weaken. Warm water is pushed back east toward the west coast of the Americas.
El Niño means Little Boy in Spanish. South American fishermen first noticed periods of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean in the 1600s. The full name they used was El Niño de Navidad because El Niño typically peaks around December.
El Niño can affect our weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. This shift makes northern U.S. and Canada areas dryer and warmer than usual. However, these periods are wetter than normal in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast and have increased flooding.
Think the new January UK temperature record of 19.6C (12C above average) was crazy? You should see forecast temperatures towards the arctic tomorrow… pic.twitter.com/D1UHsnuXTV
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) January 28, 2024
How could happen only talk calk? No how it is. https://t.co/FBGArWAG6r pic.twitter.com/j5hFhF73X6
— Thomas Reis (@peakaustria) February 6, 2025
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