What was the impact? Three years of La Niña is ending

Latest data shows that the climate phenomenon known as La Niña is almost certain to end this spring after three years of activity… Let’s look at its impact.

La Niña is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), resulting in cooler waters in the equatorial Pacific.

No two events are the same, but they typically bring more rain to Australia, an increase in Atlantic hurricanes for the US, and a mixture of effects in Africa.

Over the past three years, Australia has undoubtedly seen more rainfall.

As many as eight separate severe flooding events took place over the period resulting in billions of dollars in damages and multiple deaths.

In 2022, the Wilson River passing through the city of Lismore, New South Wales, reached a historic height of 14.4 meters (about 45 feet).

Looking towards the U.S., we see the impact evident in the hurricanes formed. As La Niña took hold during the 2020 hurricane season, we saw a total of 31 tropical cyclones, 14 hurricanes, and seven major hurricanes. It became the most active season on record.

This was followed by the third most active season on record in 2021. While 2022’s season saw fewer events, total damages passing $120 billion were the highest of the period.

Meanwhile, in Africa, La Niña has different effects. In the west, the weather becomes wetter, with floods more likely. In the east, drought is exacerbated, as we see in the Horn of Africa, currently in the grip of the most severe drought for over 70 years.

Learn more about the El Niño Southern Oscillation with our video explainer!