Update May 18, 2024 at 11:00 PM
After a brief respite, a new temperature difference at the surface of the Atlantic Ocean breaks a worrying record. details.
In summary:
never seen
Since the beginning of the year, surface temperatures in the North Atlantic have been above average until the end of April.
This return to normalcy was short-lived: a new sequence of abnormally high temperatures took over.
On May 17, experts spotted the biggest anomaly of 2024 so far.
El Nino still dominates the tropics. However, there is a 49% chance that La Niña will pass through the neutral phase and take control in August.
Keep in mind that when La Niña rules, the Atlantic Ocean becomes a scene of particularly active weather: warm water and low air pressure allow storms to form more easily. In the Pacific Ocean, wind shear makes it more difficult for hurricanes to develop.
*Good to know: If the water temperature is 0.5°C above the seasonal norm, the condition can be described as El Nino. Conversely, the water needs to be at least 0.5 degrees Celsius colder to talk about La Niña. *
