Global temperatures to remain above average despite return of La Niña, says UN | La Niña

The meteorological phenomenon of the Niña cooling can return between September and November, but even if this is the case, global temperatures should be above average, said the United Nations.

La Niña is a natural climate phenomenon that cools surface temperatures in the central and oriental peaceful ocean. It makes changes in the winds, pressure and precipitation patterns.

The conditions oscillate between the Niña and its opposite, El Niño, with neutral conditions between the two.

After a brief period of low conditions of Niña, neutral conditions have persisted since March, said the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

“There is 55% chance for sea surface temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific to cool at the Niña levels” between September and November, “he said.

“For October to December 2025, the probability of the Niña conditions increased slightly to around 60%,” added the weather and the climate.

There is little chance that El Niño will develop from September to December.

In many places, in particular under the tropics, the Niña produces the opposite climatic impacts on El Niño, which warms the surface of the oceans, causing drought in certain parts of the world and triggering heavy showers elsewhere.

The 2020-2023 unusually extended the Niña was the first La Niña “Triple Dip” of the 21st century – and only the third since 1950. It intensified drought and floods.

However, despite the cooling effect of the Niña, he did nothing to break the race of exceptionally hot years. The last 10 years represent the hottest individual years ever recorded.

The temperatures remained at record levels or almost record even after the conditions of El Niño disappeared last year – with 2024 the hottest year ever recorded.

The WMO stressed that natural climatic events such as the Niña and El Niño take place in the backdrop of climate change induced by humans, “which increases global temperatures, exacerbating extreme weather conditions and impacting seasonal precipitation and temperature models”.

The latest WMO update said that temperatures between September and November should be superior to normal in a large part of the northern hemisphere and large parts of the southern hemisphere.