There has been a run of La Niña events in the past three years

Surface temperature anomalies and El Niño/La Niña events in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (Niño 3.4 region)

Sea surface temperature anomalies

Warm El Niño event

Cool phase La Niña event

-1

+1

+2

+3C

-2C

0

2020

2015

2010

2005

2000

1995

1990

Surface temperature anomalies and El Niño/La Niña events

in the equatorial Pacific Ocean (Niño 3.4 region)

Warm phase El Niño event

Cool phase La Niña event

Sea surface temp anomalies

+3C

+2

+1

0

-1

-2

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

Guardian graphic. Source: Noaa. Note: an El Niño phase is five consecutive three-month running mean anomalies above the threshold of +0.5C in the Niño 3.4 region of the Pacific Ocean. The threshold for a La Niña phase is -0.5C or below. Due to warming in the region, multiple centred 30-year base periods are used