Is a winter of the past, with snowstorms and extreme cold, about to hit Europe because of El Niño? Uncontrolled reports are circulating, including in national newspapers and television outlets. Let’s clarify things by distinguishing between El Niño, the polar vortex, teleconnections and seasonal forecasts.
A freezing and snowy winter because of El Niño — will we see plenty of snowploughs in action? We clarify the teleconnections, polar vortex and seasonal forecasts in the article.El Niño is increasingly becoming a source of concern, discussion and various reports. The latest concerns its alleged influence on the polar vortex, with direct repercussions for Europe and Italy, supposedly leading to a winter of the past.
We have already written to clarify what El Niño is and why, regardless of ENSO, it may be sensible to have food supplies and emergency kits at home.
Now it is worth clarifying the links between ENSO, El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and the polar vortex, as well as what the seasonal forecasts say about the coming winter.
Teleconnections: a recap
If we consult the impact maps available on the websites of NOAA, WMO, IRI Columbia University and other scientific institutions, we can see that none shows an indication of impacts in Europe. This does not mean that there are no consequences for our continent. In the Earth’s climate system, everything is connected.
As we have already explained in several articles, El Niño’s influence on Europe is indirect and occurs through teleconnections. In practice, it acts indirectly by altering the general circulation of the atmosphere.
Changes in
Original Record.
This archived record authored by ‘Helena Mottram’ at ‘METEORED (Your Weather)’ was recovered from data set:
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