· 2 min read
illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Le Monde or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: El Niño, responsible for recent global temperature spikes and extreme weather, is ending but its effects will linger for several more months
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects La Niña to follow, although it will not significantly cool the planet due to ongoing global warming
🔭 The context: El Niño and La Niña are phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, causing major natural climate variations
• El Niño, the warm phase, raises global temperatures, while La Niña, the cold phase, typically cools them
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The persistent high temperatures driven by El Niño and greenhouse gases highlight the severity of climate change
• The continued overheating of the planet exacerbates extreme weather events, stressing the need for urgent climate action
⏭️ What's next: As El Niño transitions to La Niña, exceptionally high sea surface temperatures will remain a significant climate factor
• The world must prepare for ongoing climate instability despite these natural oscillations
💬 One quote: “The end of El Niño does not mean a pause in long-term climate change as our planet will continue to warm due to heat-trapping greenhouse gases,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett
📈 One stat: The last nine years have been the warmest on record, despite a three-year La Niña episode
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