Multiple global heat records have been falling in rapid succession as the planetary temperature rises in response to a freshly-emerged El Niño in the equatorial Pacific, with the global average temperature soaring above 17°C (62.6°F) for three consecutive days. The trend started on July 3 when the average global temperatureread more

La Niña conditions are currently forming in the Pacific Ocean, however forecasters expect that if these conditions persist through the winter, this will only be a mild episode, compared to La Niña that have occurred in the past.

La Niña, Spanish for "little girl", occurs when sea surface temperatures drop to below normal along a band following the equator in the Eastern Pacific, the counterpart to the phenomenon of above-average sea surface temperatures known as El Niño. These two phenomena are part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), one of the strongest drivers of climate variation in North America and around the world.
read more