Termed as a “super” El Niño or a “Godzilla” El Niño, the Pacific Ocean warming event disrupting global weather patterns has made a comeback, coinciding with rising temperatures in various parts of the world. July marked the hottest month on record for North America and Europe, with heatwaves causing numerous heat-related fatalities, dried-up waterways, and scorched landscapes. Canada, for instance, has witnessed extensive wildfires scorching over 4.1 million hectares of forests, enveloping vast regions in thick smoke.
While this scorching summer coincides with the onset of an El Niño, climate experts clarify that it is not solely responsible for the recent extreme weather events. However, they suggest that this naturally occurring phenomenon could potentially exacerbate extreme weather conditions already intensified by human-induced climate change.
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“El Niño’s impacts are going to be large and broad across a huge area,” stated Josh Willis, a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“Get ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride.”
The UN’s weather agency is warning that the return of El Niño will make temperatures even higher this summer, which they also warn will exacerbate climate disasters, including drought and wildfires.
Flipping the weather upside down
El Niños typically occur every three to seven years, commencing in spring and persisting into the following year as water surface temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean rise at least 0.5 C above average.
According to Willis, this warming heats up air above the ocean and “reorganizes the atmosphere,” causing a reversal in weather patterns, leading to increased rainfall in dry areas and drought in typically wet regions.
