According to the latest report of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the global El Niño phenomenon is slowly weakening. It is expected that in April and May this year, it will come to an end. What follows is La Niña.
When La Niña strikes, the global climate changes dramatically. As for the impact of La Niña on the mainland at that time, it will be necessary to see the move.
Speaking of which, many people may ask, what is this miraculous El Niño, and how is it different from La Niña?
Drought dies of drought and death of waterlogging
The word El Niño, in Spanish, means Holy Child. It refers to the abnormally warming of sea water over a wide area in the Pacific Ocean.
Overall, the water temperature in these areas will be warmer than 0.5 degrees. As the temperature rises, all sorts of weird things happen.
In Ecuador and Peru in South America, for example, fishermen have found that large numbers of fish die in Peruvian fisheries whenever this warm current occurs.
At the same time, those plankton will also die. As far as the eye can see, there are piles of corpses piled on the surface of the sea, which makes people shudder. At this time, the fishermen suffer a catastrophe. At least it will be a year of waste, and at worst, it will be bankrupt.
In addition to fishermen, local seabirds are also affected. Because these seabirds feed on fish, and now that the fish are dead, the seabirds have to leave the place and fend for themselves.
Generally speaking, El Niño events like this one, which kill large fish populations, occur once every 2-7 years and last for 9-12 months at a time. During this time, the impact will vary from place to place across the globe.
In Africa and Southeast Asia, for example, large drought events can occur due to high temperatures. Countless farmlands dried up and countless people suffered from heat stroke, ultimately causing massive losses of life and property.
As for East Asia and South America, widespread rainfall will occur. Subsequently, all kinds of flood disasters occur frequently, which makes it difficult to prevent them.
In short, when El Niño occurs, the global climate will become abnormal, with drought and waterlogging dying.
As extreme weather events expand, they can affect agriculture, fisheries, livestock and plantations around the world, ultimately destroying local smallholder economies.
A demonic El Niño
El Niño not only affects global agriculture, but is also responsible for the frequent wildfires everywhere. For example, the wildfires in Australia and the United States in recent years are basically inseparable from the El Niño phenomenon.
At the same time, the increase in water temperature caused by the El Niño phenomenon can also lead to the death of coral reefs. In recent years, coral reefs around the world have bleached by 30%.
Scientists predict that these reefs will bleaching to 50% in the near future. At that time, the underwater world will truly become a "dead sea".
During this period, as plankton and small fish shrink, the food chain of the world's oceans will also be ruthlessly interrupted. Countless fish and birds have no choice but to migrate to their new homes.
Of course, when El Niño erupts, it will also have some impact on human health. In addition to the respiratory diseases mentioned earlier, El Niño increases the risk of infectious diseases. For example, the outbreak of El Niño in 1997 triggered cholera in Africa.
At that time, the virus was raging not only in Africa, but all over the world. After all, the 1997 flood of the century was no joke, and the soldiers who participated in the Yangtze River flood fight should have a deep understanding.
It can be seen that El Niño is like a demon. Once it appears, it immediately sweeps the world, making people uncomfortable.
This El Niño phenomenon, which began in June last year, has been raging ever since. And its global impact cannot be ignored.
In Africa, Hurricane Daniel, which broke out in September last year, made landfall in Libya. As a result, two dams in Libya collapsed, affecting tens of thousands of people.
As for North America, it broke the record of extreme cold in recent decades. The Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, USA, detected a nighttime minimum temperature of -78 degrees, which is almost twice the lowest temperature in Mohe, Heilongjiang.
As the cold wave continues to hit, it has led to large-scale power outages in many places in the United States. During this time, multiple roads in North America were blocked, flights were delayed, countless schools were closed, and more than 2,000 people were severely affected.
La Niña is coming
El Niño is as fierce as a tiger, how can humans respond?
As mentioned earlier, with the outbreak of El Niño in June last year, people around the world have been complaining. Hurricanes continue to occur in Africa, and cold spells are raging in North America.
In South America, there were unusually high winter temperatures. Throughout the winter, South America maintained a high temperature of 37 degrees, and those who didn't know thought that the end of the world was coming.
In Asia, there are also many disasters. For example, in many provinces in the northern part of the mainland, more than 1,000 millimeters of rainfall have accumulated, and floods are frequent.
In particular, Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, was severely affected last year. In order to rescue the trapped people, the rescue team even dispatched excavators to transport people. It can be seen how terrifying the El Niño phenomenon has been since the outbreak last year.
Now that El Niño is coming to an end, La Niña is coming again. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Niña is coming this summer.
In June-August, La Niña has a 60% chance of appearing. La Niña will peak in December. And this will continue until next spring, for a total of 9-12 months, and the staying power will be as long as El Niño.
Speaking of which, many people may ask again, what is this La Niña for, and is it as terrifying as El Niño?
La Niña, in Spanish, means holy woman. Her appearance will cause the water temperature in the ocean to decrease. That's why La Niña is also known as the "anti-El Niño".
Of course, although she is a younger sister, the power of La Niña should not be underestimated. Her appearance will also cause climate upheaval. All over the world, there are still droughts and waterlogs, but the drought and flood areas are different.
When La Niña hits, disasters such as cold waves, floods, and hail will all appear. It will not only affect agriculture, but will also allow more viruses to run amok. It can be seen that the destructive power of La Niña is also very amazing.
If La Niña infects the mainland, the northern part of the continent could see heavy rainfall again this fall. At that time, there will be not only floods, but also cold waves, low temperatures and freezing weather. What's more, there may even be hailstorms.
In short, before the arrival of La Niña, residents across the mainland need to be prepared in terms of farming and daily life to prevent problems before they occur. Otherwise, it is estimated that the harvest of a year's hard work will be wasted.