For those of you on the East Coast of Australia, have you noticed that it has been a bit wetter and colder than usual? Grab your umbrella and your rain jacket, we are in La Niña! Some of you may be thinking, what the heck is a La Niña? Here is a quick geography lesson on what it is:
There are many climate systems that determine what the climate in Australia is like, one of the most influential being the El Niño Southern Oscillation system, most commonly known as ENSO. When ENSO is neutral, it means trade winds blow across the Pacific Ocean from East to West, keeping waters warm in Northern Australia and cool on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. A neutral ENSO means weather patterns in Australia stay relatively normal.
La Nina is a phase within the ENSO cycle that only happens every few years. During La Nina, the ENSO cycle pretty much goes into overdrive. The trade winds across the Pacific Ocean start blowing even harder, brining increased wind to the western Pacific Ocean. These stronger winds bring warmer water to northern Australia, causing Australia to experience a slightly different climate. The warmer waters in the north create a lot more rainfall over Australia, particularly on the East Coast. This increased rain means there are greater chances of flooding, tropical cyclones and sadly, cooler day time temperatures. The last time Australia experienced La Niña was from 2010-2012, and we are currently experiencing another La Niña right now!
We transitioned in La Niña on the 16th of September and this La Niña is expected to last all summer. So, what does this mean for summer this year? Find out about all the cool weather changes will experience this summer here: https://aus.jolynclothing.com/blogs/news/la-nina-by-lizzie-welborn
This blog was written for Jolyn Australia and the full blog can be found in the link above.