DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENSO-NEUTRAL AND LA NIÑA, IMPACTS TO CANADA?
The difference between a ENSO-neutral and La Niña state can be significant, especially for the Atlantic hurricane season. La Niña favours two key phenomena that trend to more hurricane activity than that of a neutral state. ADVERTISEMENT The first is warmer Atlantic Ocean waters, which is hurricane fuel. The warmer the waters are the more a hurricane can develop, strengthen and overachieve with rainfall amounts. The second factor has to do with the Atlantic trade winds. Strong trade winds work against the vertical development of a hurricane. image (5) However, La Niña tends to have weaker trade winds, so the counteractive measure is not present, allowing a hurricane to develop much easier than other global states. The change from a neutral to a La Niña state risks more frequent and stronger hurricanes. This information supports hyperactive outlooks such as the one from Colorado State University, suggesting future updates could come up even higher.