La Niña

E22413

La Niña is the cool phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern, characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and associated shifts in global weather.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf climate phenomenon
phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation
affects global climate
associatedWith cooler-than-average winters in parts of Canada
cooler-than-average winters in the northern United States
decreased central and eastern Pacific hurricane activity
drier-than-average conditions in parts of South America’s west coast
drier-than-average conditions in the southwestern United States
enhanced upwelling of cold water in the eastern Pacific
higher-than-average Southern Oscillation Index
increased Atlantic hurricane activity
lower-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region
reduced vertical wind shear over the tropical Atlantic
strengthened Walker circulation
stronger trade winds in the tropical Pacific
warmer-than-average conditions in the southeastern United States in winter
wetter-than-average conditions in Indonesia
wetter-than-average conditions in northern Australia
wetter-than-average conditions in parts of Southeast Asia
causedBy enhanced upwelling of cold subsurface water in the eastern Pacific
stronger-than-average easterly trade winds
characterizedBy unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean
unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean
hasCategory climate variability
ocean–atmosphere interaction
hasComponent atmospheric component
oceanic component
hasOpposite El Niño
hasPhaseType cool phase
impacts agricultural yields in many regions
drought risk in other regions
flood risk in some tropical and subtropical regions
influences mid-latitude jet streams
tropical cyclone activity
tropical rainfall patterns
languageOfName Spanish
measuredBy Niño 3.4 index
Oceanic Niño Index
monitoredBy Australian Bureau of Meteorology
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
surface form: NOAA

World Meteorological Organization
nameMeaning the girl
occursIn tropical Pacific Ocean
partOf El Niño–Southern Oscillation
possibleDuration up to 2 years or more
recurrenceInterval every 2 to 7 years approximately
relatedTo ENSO-neutral conditions
Southern Oscillation Index
typicalDuration 9 to 12 months
typicalONIThreshold ≤ −0.5 °C anomaly in Niño 3.4 region

Referenced by (8)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

El Niño hasOppositePhase La Niña
this entity surface form: La Niña events
this entity surface form: La Niña often defined when anomalies are below about −0.5 °C for several consecutive overlapping seasons