In June the UN’s World Meteorological Organization announced that El Niño is now happening and is expected to continue to March 2024. The last major El Niño happened from 2014 – 2016 and it typically happens every two to seven years and duration can typically be 9 to 12 months.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern caused by the warming of the ocean surface temperatures in central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
El Niño can cause warmer ocean waters, altered weather patterns, have impact on fisheries, cause hurricane activity and global temperature anomalies.
El Niño events are typically associated with increased rainfall and flooding in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, parts of Africa and central Asia.
On the other side of the world El Niño can also cause severe droughts in Australia, Indonesia, parts of southern Asia, Central America, and northern South America.
This year so far records have been broken worldwide with June 2023 being the hottest June on record since records began in 1850. July 2023 is expected to be the hottest month on record too.
Hot temperatures have been seen across Europe so far this summer and wildfires have also been seen in Canada, Turkey, and Greece. Canada has had its worst wildfire season on record with 120,000 people evacuated so far. In China they recorded a record temperature of 52.2⁰C however they have then faced tropical cyclones giving record-breaking heavy rainfall. Phoenix in Arizona have experienced 31 days straight of temperatures over 43⁰C.
This extreme weather is becoming more frequent due to climate change and as El Niño just started, we will have to watch to see how it develops over the coming months. Current predictions show there is 60% chance it will last into first part of 2024.
The products we supply which could be affected by El Niño include Passionfruit Juice, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, and Mango Puree but we will keep you updated as it develops over the coming weeks and months.
