La Niña bringing NYC unusually warm weather

By Emily Tarrab Contributing Writer

When 0.4 inches of snow was officially measured in Central Park on February 1, it was the first time in 328 days that New York City received measurable snow. This past January was recorded to have above-average temperatures every day for the first time ever.

After a string of 60-degree days in mid-February, most Flatbush students would guess that the reason this winter has been warmer and drier than usual is global warming. In reality, global warming has increased the average winter temperature by only one degree in the past decade. So what’s causing this sudden change in the winter temperatures and precipitation?

La Niña, the little girl, is to blame.

La Niña is a weather pattern that occurs every few years affecting “normal” weather conditions globally. It begins when the trade winds, winds that typically blow from east to west near the equator, are blowing stronger than usual. As a result, more warm water from the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean gets shifted from South America toward Asia and Australia. Then, an upwelling of cold water from the depth of the ocean rises in proximity to the west coast. The cold water causes the flow of the polar jet stream, narrow strips of strong cold wind, to hit the U.S. in the north. Eventually, the jet stream will weaken as it makes its way to the United States’ east coast.

Due to stronger and heavier winds in the northwestern states and Canada, La Niña makes the average temperature in that region cooler with more precipitation, meaning a rougher winter. Since the winds are more focused and condensed in that specific area, southern states and most east coast states will avoid the jetstream and have a warmer, drier winter climate. Meanwhile, La Niña deprives the southwest of proper precipitation and provides the region with a particularly hot climate, inflicting extreme droughts and wildfires. On top of that, when these two extremes meet, a series of strong tornadoes can potentially be created.

In the bigger picture, La Niña can also cause extreme weather events in Australia, Indonesia, India, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Catastrophic floods and heavy rain showers often occur in Australia during La Niña years, once causing 10,000 people to evacuate in 2010. As opposed to La Niña’s detriment to Australia, La Niña actually benefits southeastern Asian countries. It contributes to their seasonal monsoons, making them greater and larger, majorly helping these countries’ monsoon dependent economy, industry, and agriculture.

The reason behind Australia and southeast Asia having heavier precipitation during La Niña is because of the relationship between their geographical location and the trade winds. Being west of the Pacific Ocean entails having the intense trade winds flow toward them, mov-

By Michelle Belenkiy World News Editor

Over the past three decades, Peru has seen a long string of presidents expelled from office because of everything from corruption allegations to imprisonment, causing the country to be in a state of near-constant turbulence.

Churning through five presidents in six years has caused great turmoil in the country. The latest chaos began in December, when then-President Pedro Castillo Terrones was impeached after he attempted to dissolve the country’s congress so that he could rule by decree. Installed in Castillo’s place, current president Dina Boluarte has brought about a wave of strong opposition, with many calling for her to resign—especially Castillo’s loyal supporters. Upon Boluarte’s rise to office, the population demanded elections and an improved constitution in addition to her resignation. Indigenous and rural people are particularly angry. In fact, this is the strongest wave of protests yet.

The current president and her government have declared a state of emergency and have responded by arresting protest- ing large influxes of warm water to them simultaneously. An increased amount of rain clouds are then formed, surrounding those countries, as a result of the amount of warm water there. In the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean area, the global climate changes in the atmosphere lead to more tropical hurricanes, cyclones, and lightning activity.

The world is currently experiencing La Niña’s rare “triple dip,” meaning that this phenomenon has been active for three ers, instituting curfews, and even closing some of the country’s airports. Officers in Lima raided a university where protesters were headquartered; armored vehicles broke open a metal gate and officers carrying batons and riot shields entered the complex. Protestors believed that the imprisonment of nearly two busloads of activists was a gross breach of rights. People are demanding an election held earlier than the one that has been scheduled, and immediate political shifts. years. As students, this weather pattern can either take a toll on us or give us an advantage. One Flatbush student said, “As a student who takes the train to go to school on early mornings and late nights, the warmer temperature makes my trips more comfortable, but I definitely do miss the cold for the sole reason of not having school due to snow days or having the pipes burst, just as it did this past December.”

The circle of havoc has caused several attacks on police stations. Government authorities even closed the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, a popular tourist attraction that provides high economic revenue for the country, after trains to the site were damaged. 50 people have died in demonstrations and clashes with police.

As the president promises to crack down on this “rebellion,” the people of Peru continue to exercise their natural right of protest—no matter the consequences. Many find themselves wondering if Peru will end this circle of violence and finalize a definitive president or if they’ll let this cycle of persecution continue to ravage the country.