Sydney (AFP) – Australia’s weather bureau said on Tuesday that hot conditions with low humidity are forming associated with the El Niño phenomenon, which could increase the severity of fires and droughts.
First change: September 19, 2023 – 5:17 p.m. Last change: September 19, 2023 – 5:15 p.m
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Lifeguards train at Altona Beach in Melbourne on September 19, 2023 © William West / AFP
Government meteorologist Karl Braganza said the El Niño phenomenon had hit the Pacific Ocean, coinciding with an unusual spring heatwave in eastern Australia.
Braganza said the El Niño phenomenon would further warm the planet’s oceans, which “have reached record temperatures since April.”
The meteorological phenomenon known as El Niño in the Pacific Ocean © Sophie Ramis, Gal Roma / AFP
“This (Australian) summer will be warmer than average and certainly warmer than the last three years,” he said.
In July, the World Meteorological Organization began investigating this climate phenomenon, which usually causes a rise in global temperatures accompanied by droughts in some parts and torrential rains in others.
“The arrival of El Niño will significantly increase the chances of breaking temperature records and triggering further extreme heat in many regions of the world and in the oceans,” warned Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
© 2023 AFP