The La Niña climate phenomenon, which affects global temperatures and exacerbates droughts and floods, will probably continue for months and even until 2023, the United Nations (UN) warned yesterday, Friday.

La Niña, which occurs in periods of between two and seven years, causes the large-scale cooling of surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial area of the Pacific Ocean.

According to the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is a 70% chance that La Niña, which began in September 2020, will continue at least until August.

The phenomenon has great repercussions on the climate around the world, as opposed to the El Niño phenomenon, which has warming effects on global temperatures.

The droughts that affect the Horn of Africa and South America “carry the seal of La Niña,” WMO said.

The organization also believes that above-average rainfall in Southeast Asia and Australia could be related to the phenomenon, as well as predictions of a more intense hurricane season in the Atlantic.