Explained | What is La Nina weather? Know about the phenomenon that will affect winters in India

Monsoon is ending soon and India will welcome winter. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently announced that the monsoon is set to withdraw by September 15 in certain parts of the country. Will the winters this year be too cold?

The weather is said to be influenced by a climate phenomenon called La Nina. Wondering what's La Nina? We have you covered.

La Nina signifies cold climate. It is also referred to as the cold phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.

According to the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El Nino, which is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.

Originally, the term was associated with Christmas and was used for the tendency of the phenomenon to arrive around this winter festival. El Nino means "The Little Boy" or "Christ child in Spanish," describes PMEL website.

The phenomenon was observed first by fisherman off the coast of South America as the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific ocean, occurring near the beginning of the year.

This weather event is also linked to floods and drought, Reuters reported.

Opposite to this is the El Nino, which is the warm phase of ENSO.

Winter impact

In a statement earlier this September, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said La Nina may return to impact weather and climate patterns this month onwards. However, the organisation pointed out that the global temperatures are still expected to remain above average for most countries despite the temporary cooling influence of this phenomenon.

For India, La Nina is likely to bring colder winter, especially in northern India. The IMD reportedly suggested this weather pattern, which cools the Pacific Ocean, is linked to more frost and intense cold waves in northern India.