The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
"World should prepare for El Nino development, associated with increased heat and drought", says WMO
The El Niño weather pattern is likely to develop later this year and could contribute to rising global temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.
This would have the opposite impacts on weather and climate patterns in many regions of the world than the three-year period of La Niña that just ended and which often lowers global temperatures.
“The next few months from May to July, we have a 60% chance to enter into an El Niño phase. This likelihood will increase to 70% if we look at the period from July to August and even to 80% if we go past August. But of course, beyond, we can't say much,” said Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Head of WMO’s regional climate prediction services division. “Of course, this will change the weather and climate pattern worldwide.”
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It occurs on average every two to seven years, and episodes usually last nine to 12 months.
“The warmest year was 2016, according to our report. So, we are expecting in the coming two years to have a serious increase in the global temperature,” reported Mr. Okia.
According to WMO’s State of the Global Climate reports, 2016 is the warmest year on record because of the “double whammy” of a very powerful El Niño event and human-induced warming from greenhouse gases.
“We just had the eight warmest years on record and three of those were La Niña years. So, this just gives you an indication of the climate context we're in,” said Clare Nullis, WMO’s spokesperson, quoting WMO’s Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.
According to WMO’s Professor Taalas, the world should prepare for the development of El Niño, which is often associated with increased heat, drought or rainfall in different parts of the world. It might bring relief from the drought in the Horn of Africa and other La Niña- related impacts but could also trigger more extreme weather and climate events.
“The state of the ocean is the warmest and we are currently in the so-called neutral phase of the El Niño oscillation whereby basically we left the state of the La Niña, and we are moving toward a different state,” said WMO’s Wilfran Moufouma Okia.
El Niño and La Niña are major – but not the only - drivers of the Earth’s climate system.
-ends-
STORY: WMO- EL Niño update
TRT: 01’41”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
RELEASE DATE: 03 May 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot of podium, speakers, conference room, Palais des Nations, Geneva
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Head of WMO regional climate prediction services division, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The next few months from May to July, we have a 60% chance to enter into an El Niño phase. This likelihood will increase to 70% if we look at the period from July to August and even to 80% if we go past August. But of course, beyond, we can't say much. That's where we are. Of course, this will change the weather and climate pattern worldwide.”
- Wide shot, laptop screen in foreground with podium, speakers and monitor in background, conference room, Palais des Nations
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Head of WMO regional climate prediction services division, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The warmest year was 2016, according to our report. So we are expecting in the coming two years to have a serious increase in the global temperature.”
- Wide shot: camera person, tripod
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “We just had the eight warmest years on record and three of those were La Niña years. So this just gives you an indication of the climate context we're in.”
- Wide shot: podium and speakers, technicians in background
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Head of WMO regional climate prediction services division, World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The state of the ocean is the warmest and we are currently in the so-called neutral phase of the El Niño oscillation whereby basically we left the state of the La Niña, and we are moving toward a different state.”
- Medium shot: speakers at podium, conference room
- Close up: camera
- Medium shot: journalist typing
- Wide shot: camera operator, podium
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Somalia: child hunger surges as humanitarian aid dries up – UNICEF
The global funding crisis for vital lifesaving work is taking a growing toll on the most vulnerable children in Somalia, where hundreds of health and nutrition facilities have been forced to close, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
As the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo’s history continued spreading on Friday, UN responders renewed their urgent appeal for immediate international support, with existing funding for lifesaving work critically low.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , WMO , UNICEF
OCHA: 100-day mark of the Ebola outbreak declaration, progress and challenges in the
response; UNICEF: Devastating impact of aid cuts on children in Somalia;
WHO: Ebola update; WMO: El Niño update
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: In the fight against Ebola, bikers transporting dead bodies hold key to community engagement - WHO
From the frontlines of the deadliest-ever Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) shared details on Tuesday of a massive push for community engagement, a day after yet another ambulance attack.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO , UNHCR
OCHA: World Humanitarian Day - legal framework, impunity and commemoration of aid workers killed in line of duty, drone use in attacks on aid workers; WHO - Healthcare in armed conflict, Bundibugyo virus update from Bunia, DRC - scaling up the Ebola response in DRC, the fastest growing outbreak in history, DRC; UNCHR: Lebanon update
1
1
1
Edited News | UNFPA
Sudan: The harrowing reality of giving birth in a war zone
Sudanese women about to give birth are losing their babies and sometimes their own lives because of a lack of specialist healthcare support, amid the ongoing war, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO , UNHCR , WFP , UNFPA , UNODA
WHO: update on Attacks on Health Care; UNFPA: Maternal health challenges in Darfur;
WFP/ UNHCR: Critical funding shortfalls threaten life-saving food, nutrition, and other assistance for refugees in South Sudan
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Colombia earthquake: International teams ready to support, says UN
As earthquake rescue efforts across western Colombia continued on Tuesday, UN agencies said that they stood ready to help “with everything we've got” if and when the request came from the authorities.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WMO , OCHA , WHO
WMO: Heatwaves, drought, fires and extreme weather; OCHA: Colombia earthquake
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | HRC
Myanmar's military has carried out a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians – including airstrikes on homes, schools and camps for displaced people, alongside arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence – Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Tuesday.
1
6
1
1
Edited News | UNOG
In a new twist on panda diplomacy, UN Geneva welcomed five young peacocks to the Palace of Nations on Friday, a gift of India that preserves a tradition of keeping the stately birds in the grounds, that predates both the global body and its ill-fated predecessor, the League of Nations.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WHO
WHO updates on Ebola; WMO on drought in Europe