It turns out we could be facing a third La Niña. Yes, there’s more of her!!! Talk about absolutely not reading the room.
The rare “triple-dip La Niña” (science’s name, not mine) has only happened four times since 1900. Great, more history-making events we have to live through.
This prediction has come out of the US, specifically the Columbia Climate School and the US Climate Prediction Centre’s El Niño, La Niña and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecast.
It says there’s a “high probability” of La Niña continuing from June to August this year.
There’s still questions about how long exactly La Niña will stick around though. University of South Queensland climate scientist Dr Chelsea Jarvis told the ABC forecasts from the US were “at 50/50”.
“Usually if a La Niña is going kind of through July and August, it’ll continue through spring and into summer,” she said.
So not only is Ms Niña coming for Hot Girl Winter, she also might stick around to dampen Hot Girl Spring.
Please, enough! I would like to wear nice jeans at least once this decade without fear of getting them gross and damp!
Sky News’ chief meteorologist Tom Saunders told News.com.au La Niña usually weakens by late autumn and the temps in the Pacific Ocean go back to normal.
“That transition has not happened this year which explains why heavy rain is lingering,” he said.
There is a little bit of contention about whether La Niña will stick around though.
The Bureau of Meteorology updated its ENSO outlook on Tuesday. It said that most climate models do show a return to normal ENSO levels this winter. But even if we do return to those levels, the country could still have loads of rain.
“Even if La Niña eases, the forecast sea surface temperature pattern in the tropical Pacific still favours average to above average winter rainfall for eastern Australia,” it said.
So whether Ms Niña scoots or stays, we’re still due for more fkn rain. I’m going to exclusively start wearing those ponchos they give you on the log flume at theme parks. No more fashion, just desperate attempts to stay dry.
