Meteorologists say climate patterns associated with La Niña could come about as early as next month. This will affect global shipping and trade patterns into early 2025. Forecasts predict a 70% chance it will start between August and October, with a 79% probability to last into early 2025.

La Niña is characterized by the cooling of surface-ocean water across the Central and Eastern Pacific Oceans. The climate pattern can have domino effects on regional weather extremes and can lead to diverse conditions.

South American countries could face drought which would lower crop yields. Drought-like conditions could also become more prevalent in the Southern U.S. Southeast Asia and India might get more rain, benefitting rice and palm oil crops and helping hydropower. In Australia, more rain and cyclones could disrupt mining and export of minerals like iron ore and coal. La Niña also increases hurricane activity in the Atlantic and brings colder winters to North Asia and North Europe, increasing energy use.

The recent drought at the Panama Canal serves as an example of the widespread disruption to commercial ships that typically pass through the crucial waterway. Authorities were forced to limit ship crossings and impose draft restrictions, leading ocean carriers to reroute their Asia-North America East Coast sailings away from the canal.

Source: splash247.com