After a strong El Nino year, the La Nina weather pattern, which is characterised by abnormally low temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, may develop in the second half of 2024, a U.S. government weather forecaster has said .

The pattern usually provides drier weather to the regions of the Americas that produce grains and oilseeds, and higher precipitation to Australia, Southeast Asia, and India.

“Even though forecasts made through the spring season tend to be less reliable, there is a historical tendency for La Nina to follow strong El Nino events,” the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said.

According to the CPC, neutral circumstances are expected to replace the current El Nino weather pattern, which brought hot, dry weather to Asia and heavier-than-normal rainfall to areas of the Americas between April and June 2024.

In its monthly prediction, CPC stated that there is a 55% possibility of La Niña conditions developing between June and August.

“La Nina is likely to affect the production of wheat and corn in the US, and soybean and corn in Latin America including Brazil,” Sabrin Chowdhury, head of commodities at BMI said.

Following a subpar monsoon, India, the world’s largest producer of rice, limited exports of the staple last year, while wheat production in Australia, the country’s second-largest exporter, suffered. Less rain than usual fell on Southeast Asian rice and palm oil plantations.

“The development of La Nina is beneficial for the Indian monsoon. Typically, the monsoon delivers abundant rainfall during La Nina years,” said an official with India Meteorological Department.

India’s $3 trillion economy depends on the June–September monsoon, which provides around 70% of the rain required to irrigate crops and restock aquifers and reservoirs.

(Adapted from TBSNews.com)