What La Niña Will do to Earth in 2025!

As of May 2024, the world finally broke away from the year-long spell of record-breaking temperatures. It was caused by the fifth-strongest El Niño-Southern Oscillation event in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding, and other natural disasters across the globe. With El Niño finally subsiding, the focus shifts to the upcoming La Niña event. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center predicts a 71% risk of catastrophic La Niña in the remaining months of the year. But what's truly shocking is the forecast for 2025. In this video, we will take a look at our changing planet, and what La Niña will do to Earth in the coming year.
For as long as humans have existed, weather has captivated us. In ancient times, myths were born to explain its unpredictable nature, but now we understand that weather and climate are controlled by complex factors like Earth's orbit, axial tilt, atmospheric circulation, and the seasons. One of the most significant factors influencing our climate is the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which includes El Niño and La Niña events. ENSO is a natural climate phenomenon that has been occurring for tens of thousands of years, with evidence suggesting it m
Now Let’s Dive Deeper, What Happens To The Earth During Catastrophic Changes?
In neutral ENSO phases, sea surface temperatures and trade winds are basically near-average conditions.
How Can We Tell When El Niño Is On The Way? What Were the Effects Of The Recent El Niño Event?
The first signs of an El Niño event are weakening trade winds and rising sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, as seen in 2023 and 2024. During El Niño, the massive columns of warm air over rainforests shift, disrupting Asia's monsoon season, and leading to droughts and water shortages affecting billions.
The 2023 El Niño event caused a ripple effect in global shipping, leading to delays as the Panama Canal struggled with low water levels due to lack of rainfall. El Niño, the warm phase of the ENSO cycle, brings higher-than-average Pacific sea surface temperatures, disrupting global weather patterns and ecosystems. Coral reefs, for instance, rely on specific sea surface temperatures to thrive, supporting an incredible array of life on Earth. But when temperatures rise, corals expel their algae, leaving them drained of color and vulnerable. The 2023 to 2024 El Niño event was particularly devastating, with a record 99.7% of Atlantic tropical reefs experiencing bleaching-level heat stress. The warmer Pacific waters and weaker trade winds also slowed or stopped the upwelling of nutrient-rich water, leading to a dire situation where phytoplankton declines, forcing fish to migrate or perish. This has a ripple effect across the food chain, impacting other animals and coastal communities that rely on fish for nourishment or income. Now, we’ve looked at what happens during neutral ENSO periods and the devastation of El Niño between 2023 and 2024.
Now, What Should We Expect With La Niña Approaching?
Although El Niño gets more attention, La Niña is just as powerful. This extreme weather event is characterized by stronger-than-usual trade winds and cooler-than-average Pacific sea surface temperatures.