The latest information on El Nino and La Nina
14 July 2010
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The El Niño which started in June last year ended in May this year. Sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific have returned to normal in May but the cooling trend continues. The latest forecasts by a number of climate models around the world indicate that the sea surface temperatures would continue to decrease and a La Niña might start developing in the next few months.
La Niña refers to the cooling of surface waters over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean which affects the atmospheric circulation worldwide and regional climate in many parts of the world. Statistically, when compared to normal condition, La Niña tends to be associated with cooler autumn (Sep-Nov) and winter (Dec-Feb), and more tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong during Aug-Oct. Despite the latter, the Observatory still expects the number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong this year to be 6 or less. The number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong in an average year is 6.4. Please visit the Hong Kong Observatory website (http://www.hko.gov.hk/lrf/enso/enso-front.htm) for information on El Niño and La Niña. |