Divergent Global Assessments on Whether Current El Niño Is a Record Event
Phys.org Earth ·
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Natural Sciences
Read research and analysis on Divergent Global Assessments on Whether Current El Niño Is a Record Event published by ICANEWS, a global research journal for emerging researchers.
Key Takeaways
Britain's Met Office identified the current El Niño as unprecedented.
Japan's weather agency classified it as the strongest ever observed.
U.S. forecasters concluded the event trails the largest occurrences in their record books.
Why This Matters
Discrepancies among major meteorological agencies demonstrate that determinations of whether an El Niño event breaks historical records depend on the specific institution's metrics and record books.
Overview
International meteorological organizations have reported conflicting characterizations regarding the relative strength of the current El Niño event, with evaluations differing according to the institutional records consulted.
Findings
Differing designations have been issued by monitoring agencies in the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States:
Britain's Met Office stated that this year's El Niño is "unprecedented."
Japan's weather agency designated the phenomenon as the strongest ever observed in its records.
Forecasters in the United States reported that the event continues to trail the largest events documented in their record books.
Research Information
Institution
Britain's Met Office, Japan's weather agency, U.S. forecasters