El Niño may bring a “warm winter” and cause other extreme climate events in China
Zheng Fei, Associate Professor, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
The ongoing El Niño is still in the process of developing and is anticipated to be a powerful event, likely leading to other extreme climate events in the future. This year (2023), it is highly possible that the winter monsoon in China will be weak, resulting in elevated winter temperatures and an increased likelihood of air pollution in the northern regions. Conversely, in the southern regions, precipitation levels are expected to rise, accompanied by cooler temperatures. Furthermore, El Niño will have a more pronounced impact on its second year of formation (2024). Northern China may experience springtime drought, while the south of Yangtze River is at a significantly higher risk of extreme precipitation and flooding during the summer. This demands extra vigilance.
