Signs of a strong El Niño this summer

TT

Published 16.55

 

The weather phenomenon El Niño is often associated with drought in, among other places, northern South America. The image, from October 2024, shows part of the Amazon River in Santa Sofia, Colombia. Photo: Ivan Valencia/AP/TT

There is a high probability of a strong variant of the weather phenomenon El Niño in the second half of the year, warns the EU's climate monitoring service Copernicus.

- The odds point to a moderate to strong - or probably strong to record - event (El Niño), Copernicus head Carlo Buontempo told AFP.

In that case, this would mean that global warming is being driven forward with an increased risk of extreme weather events as a result.

El Niño is associated with increased heat, drought or precipitation. It is mainly countries in the Pacific region that are affected, especially in Oceania, Indonesia and South America, but also parts of North America, Central Asia and Africa.

However, the connection between El Niño and the weather in Sweden is weak, SMHI notes.