El Niño, a climate pattern characterised by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, reached a moderate-to-strong status affecting various countries at different stages across Asia-Pacific between July 2023 and May 2024. This mainly happened over the peak (September to December 2023) and impact (January to May 2024) phases of the El Niño event. The event was also coupled with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) from September 2023 until February 2024, which tends to exacerbate the dry conditions commonly associated with El Niño, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
This overview recaps the joint FAO and OCHA El Niño snapshots issued over this 11-month period, complemented by an outlook of a potential upcoming La Niña. Notably, not all El Niño and La Niña events lead to disasters, with other factors such as local weather patterns also playing a fundamental role.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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