Kicking Up Dust The impacts of La Niña on our weather and climate have been highly variable throughout history. With floods, cyclones and hurricanes in nations on the western side of the Pacific, and with droughts and bushfire along the west coast of the Americas, farms and other productive land can be devastated causing food and produce shortages.

La Niña is a weather event that sees surface waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean cool. During the La Niña episode of 1998 / 99, for example, it was estimated that the lives of more than 450 million people on four continents were affected. This produces economic effects around the globe. Observations of La Niña events since 1950, show that impacts associated with La Niña events depend on what season it is. Although many of us think of La Niña as just a weather event it can have major global impacts on the environment, on the economy and on individual human lives. Inflation is back with a vengeance – and global weather patterns could make things much worse. Intermountain West, and over scattered sections of the north-central states, The floods may have put paid to that. GW. PDF graphical summary of La Niña impacts in Australia, opens in new window La Niña in Australia (PDF). than normal conditions are observed along the west coast of tropical South

Overall, total U.S. economic impacts of the 1997-1998 El Nino were estimated to be on the order of $25 billion.” The following are some of the historical effects El Niños have had on the economy: Agriculture. Other impacts of a La Niña episode can include the loss of infrastructure, such as power and water, of possessions such as cars and boats, and of housing that must be re-built after flooding, cyclones, hurricanes and bushfires. This little girl could have a very big impact over the next few months. Inventories of oil are rising across the US and it appears that worries about the dollar are the main driver supporting crude at its current price. Meanwhile, the odds of surplus Sea levels can rise in coastal regions of New Guinea by almost half a metre and low-lying islands become swamped by deep ocean waves and by storm events energised by the warmer than normal surface waters of the western Pacific. NASA and NOAA Missions to Study La Niña, Atmosphere "The average lifecycle of La Niña indicated that there are a few months left to run – but it is not unknown that it can carry on for much longer." La Niña is a regular and predictable event. In America, West Texan Intermediary dropped as low as $88, with the spread between the two widening. Unfortunately, this year it is much worse than normal. Typically, the global effects of a La Nina are less damaging than the stronger El … (Image courtesy Greg Shirah, Scientific Visualization Studios). ... La Niña Economic Impact. equatorial central Pacific over northern Australia and Indonesia during the In the Indian Ocean, La Niña episodes are commonly associated with floods in Bangladesh and other parts of South Asia. This brings heavy rainfall to places such as Australia, Indonesia, Brazil and Colombia – and causes dryness in California and the southern US. states. However, traders will now be expecting a jump in the cocoa price after Mr Ouattara, the internationally recognised winner of the elections, sent a letter to leading cocoa exporters yesterday ordering them to stop overseas shipments until February 23 in an attempt to oust incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. Sea bird populations increase and fishermen get better catches. El Niño and La Niña have the strongest influence on year-to-year climate variability for most of the country. Nevertheless, during a significant La Niña episode, the impacts are felt by millions of people around the Pacific basin and beyond.

This weather increases the risk of wildfires in Florida and dryness in the North American plains. Although many of us think of La Niña as just a weather event it can have major global impacts on the environment, on the economy and on individual human lives. This lack of primary production then has an effect on import and export costs which are passed down to the average consumer in countries that were not otherwise affected by La Niña. Cold currents rise up along the coast. In other words, the effects of La Niña are global.

In Bangladesh whole villages may be washed away in devastating floods at the very same time that residents in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles struggle valiantly to prevent their homes being consumed by ferocious bushfires. The Effects of La Niña BHP Billiton has said that its coal production slumped by 30pc in the final quarter of last year, although stockpiles across its supply chain meant that sales were only hit by 15pc. southeastern Africa and northern Brazil, during the northern hemisphere winter