English English Spanish Español
Powered by WUFT
Temporarily change filter
Finding your station
THIS STORY HAS EXPIRED

Strong El Niño Almost Certain to Continue This Winter

September 10, 2015

We knew El Niño was coming, and on Thursday Mike Halpert, Deputy Director of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, made it official.

"2015's El Niño now ranks third behind 1997 and 1985."

It was in the winter of 97-98 that 42 Floridians were killed by tornadoes and severe weather produced more than a half billion dollars in damage.

NOAA image released September 5, showing above normal sea surface temperatures (red) across much of the Pacific Ocean.

NOAA image released September 5, showing above normal sea surface temperatures (red) across much of the Pacific Ocean.

Peter Wolf, Meteorologist from the National Weather Service, says an El Nino displaces the jet stream, the river of air that steers storm systems, during the winter months,

“It tends to favor a more southern storm track from California across the Deep South, the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida. And so we tend to become in an area more favorable for severe storms and tornadoes in the early spring.”

And while severe weather is too difficult to predict much further than a couple of days ahead of time, he says there is an even larger long term concern that could affect many more Floridian residents,

"The most significant impact we generally see in Florida is above-normal wintertime precipitation, even the potential for flooding-type rainfall amounts, and we've seen that in some of the other past strong El Nino events."

The Florida Public Radio Emergency Network will continue to monitor the latest developments on the current El Niño and will pass along more information on how it could affect you or your business in the coming weeks.

[promote-app]

LOCAL ALERTS
WEATHER
NEWS
TRAFFIC
Sources include nearest National Weather Service office, National Hurricane Center, and the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (@FloridaStorms).
Sources include nearby emergency management agencies, FEMA, and your local NPR affiliate. 
Sources include the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Highway Patrol and other nearby traffic information.

1885 Stadium Road
PO Box 118405
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 392-5551

A service of WUFT at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications 

Partners of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network include: Florida's Division of Emergency Management, WDNA (Miami), WFIT (Melbourne), WMFE (Orlando), WFSU (Tallahassee), WGCU (Fort Myers), WJCT (Jacksonville), WKGC (Panama City), WLRN (Miami), WMNF (Tampa-Sarasota), WQCS (Fort Pierce), WUFT (Gainesville-Ocala), WUSF (Tampa), WUWF (Pensacola) and Florida Public Media.

Loading...
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram