La Niña

Definitions

1. Nonstandard spelling of La Niña.
   alt-of, nonstandard
2. A sustained negative sea-surface temperature anomaly of more than 0.5°C across the equatorial zone of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean; the negative phase of the multi-year ENSO cycle, which causes variations in local and regional weather patterns.
   attributive, sometimes

Equivalents

Examples

“Climate scientists think⟳ a La Niña event may develop⟳ this summer, meaning water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean will be cooler that normal. Although the relationship is not fully understood, historically there tends to be more hurricane activity during a La Niña event.”

“Scientists predict⟳ that La Niña this winter will lead⟳ to below average precipitation in a large swath of California, stretching from the Bay Area to the state’s southern border⟳. They expect⟳ warmer than average temperatures for Southern California and eastern parts of Central California.”

CEFR level