Riding the climate seesaw

Welcome back to The Strawman, the daily climate newsletter thats kinda like the main ride at a theme park - you know it’s worth the wait.

Today, we’re looking at a little known climate seesaw and how we might prepare for the rollercoaster ride ahead - let’s dive in.

El Niño and La Niña - a climate seesaw

El Niño and La Niña are like siblings - but not the type that get along. Think about those family members that show up at Christmas but give each other angry stares from across the room. All that tension causes heat.

Part of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, these two weather phenomena take turns affecting temperature and precipitation patterns worldwide.

El Niño is the hot-headed sibling, warming up the Pacific Ocean's surface and causing heat and drought, while La Niña cools things down with chilly Pacific surface temperatures and bountiful rainfall.

Weather whiplash

This back and forth has some pretty big impacts.

When El Niño struts onto the scene, expect heatwaves and droughts in places like Australia and Indonesia. On the other hand, regions like South America, the southern US, and the Horn of Africa experience increased rainfall and potential flooding.

La Niña, on the other hand, cools the party down with heavier rainfalls and flooding in areas like the US and Australia, while the Horn of Africa, South America, and other regions could face droughts.

With the whole climate change thing going on, scientists reckon there’s a decent chance El Niño develops over the next few months - ending a long period of La Niña which was actually keeping global temperatures cooler than they would have been otherwise.

What that means is an El Niño might lead to a new spike in global heating - and new records for global temperatures.

Learning to dance in the rain (or drought)

As we ride the climate seesaw with El Niño and La Niña, it's becoming more important to adapt and prepare for the wild weather they bring.

Organizations like the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are already working to mitigate the effects of these climate patterns on food security. They're liaising with governments, setting up seed reserves, and taking "anticipatory action" in areas at risk during El Niño or La Niña events.

Countries that rely on agriculture, such as Brazil and South Africa, should also be prepared for potential crop failures and dry conditions during El Niño years. Being proactive and working together can help us lessen the impact of these climate siblings and their meteorological mischief.

So there you have it, our whirlwind tour of the El Niño and La Niña climate seesaw.

After all, if we can't change the weather, we might as well learn to dance in the rain (and the drought).

See ya tomorrow,

The Strawman