By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

DESPITE the “unseasonable” Typhoon Kong-Rey early this month, more dry weather is expected for the Mariana islands as the region enters the La Niña episode, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
La Niña refers to the appearance of colder-than-average sea surface temperatures (in the central or eastern equatorial Pacific region – or the opposite to conditions during El Niño.
According to the Climate Prediction Center, “a transition…to La Niña conditions is possible during the next three months.”
It noted that the “pattern of anomalous sea surface temperatures in March was consistent with El Niño Southern Oscillation-neutral conditions in the tropical Pacific with average to slightly below average temperature extending from the date line to the west coast of South America.”
The cooling in the last few months has been accompanied by a rapid decrease in upper ocean heat content.
These atmospheric and oceanic conditions “are consistent with a trend toward a La Niña episode.”
But the center stated that “there is considerable uncertainty as to when La Niña might develop and how strong it might be.”
It also concluded that the El Niño-related drought in the western North Pacific ended last month.