A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday said there is an 85% chance of La Niña conditions continuing through the upcoming Northern Hemisphere winter.
The chance of the weather pattern continuing into the spring of 2021, from February to April, was pegged at 60%.
Last month, the weather forecaster had said the chances of La Niña conditions continuing through the winter were at 75%.
The latest forecasts suggest the likelihood of a moderate or even strong La Niña during the peak November-January season, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said in its monthly forecast.
La Niña is expected to affect temperature and precipitation across the United States during the upcoming months, the CPC said.
The weather phenomenon last emerged during the September-November period in 2017 and lasted through early 2018.
La Niña is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and linked with floods and drought.
(Reporting by Sumita Layek in Bengaluru Editing by Paul Simao)
Topics USA
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