A La Nina weather pattern has been forecast to develop in the coming months, according to a US Government weather forecaster.

Reuters reported the forecast on Thursday, July 9. The forecaster stated that there is a 50-55% chance of this type of weather pattern developing in the northern hemisphere this autumn and a 50% chance that it will continue into the winter of 2020 and 2021.

La Nina brings about dry weather conditions and happens when cold temperatures occur in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. A La Nina weather event affects rainfall from Indonesia to the west coast of South America and impacts on weather patterns across the globe.

In previous events, La Nina weather has resulted in large snowfall in the US, while in other areas winter tornadoes occurred. At present, neither El Nino or La Nina conditions are occurring and this should continue for summer 2020, according to the forecaster.

El Nino

The opposite to La Nina is El Nino. El Nino conditions occur when warm temperatures occur in the Equatorial Pacific. El Nino conditions can bring a risk of floods in the tropics and drought in places like Indonesia, India and Brazil.

El Nino conditions often cause colder winters here in north-western Europe and can reduce the development of tropical storms in the North Atlantic.

Effect on farming

While weather conditions may not be impacted as significantly here in Ireland, the effect of El Nino and La Nina weather conditions can impact on farming across the globe and affect crop planting, production, harvests and prices.