Japan weather bureau says La Nina unlikely this winter

Japan’s weather bureau predicts a low likelihood of La Niña this winter, with a 40% chance of El Niño developing between March and July, potentially impacting global weather patterns.

REUTERS

9 January 2026 at 06:44:39

Japan weather bureau predicts low likelihood of La Niña this winter, 40% chance of El Niño from March to July.

Reuters

TOKYO – Japan’s weather bureau said Friday that the La Niña phenomenon is unlikely to occur this Northern Hemisphere winter, while there is a 40% chance of the El Niño phenomenon taking place from March to July.

A La Niña event is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and is often associated with floods and droughts.

-Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline Wong/Reuters

"Japan’s weather bureau predicts that La Niña is unlikely this Northern Hemisphere winter, while there’s a 40% chance of El Niño emerging between March and July, potentially impacting global weather patterns."