EXPECT wet weather to continue for next few months because of the “lag effects” of the La Niña event.
The Fiji Meteorological Service stated in its latest El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) update that the La Niña event continued in the tropical Pacific but had decayed to a weak one.
La Niña is a weather pattern that occurs every few years, as a result of variations in ocean temperatures in the equatorial band of the Pacific Ocean, “Despite the easing La Niña event, its impact on Fiji is likely to continue over the next couple of months due to lag effects,” stated Fiji Met.
“Fiji usually experiences above normal rainfall during a La Niña event, which increases the risk of flooding, especially during the wet season from November to April.”
Fiji Met stated cool sea surface temperature anomalies had weakened across the equatorial Pacific Ocean during February and March.
