On 29/01/17 22:01, Alastair wrote:
On Sunday, 29 January 2017 19:50:14 UTC, Graham P Davis wrote:
OK, I know the answer from specialists would be "no" but I wonder
what the locals in S America would say. Sea-surface temperatures
along the coast are as much as 4C above normal. I don't see why
this wouldn't be causing all the usual catastrophic symptoms of an
El Nino such as the death of local fish. In the past, El Nino
events would have been defined by the state of the waters along the
coast, not by anomalies way out in the Pacific.

http://polar.ncep.noaa.gov/sst/oper/...maly_oper0.png



I find that pretty worrying. It seems that the climate system is
switching into a new mode. I wonder if the fires in Chile are related
to this, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-38766925 or
whether it is caused by the lack of sea ice in the Southern
Hemisphere.


I think the warm waters off the coast should have increased rainfall in
the region. Possibly the fact that it's not a true El Nino means that
the usual associated west winds from the ocean in that situation are not
present with this "pseudo Nino".

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks. [Retd meteorologist/programmer]
Web-site: http://www.scarlet-jade.com/
There are more fools than knaves in the world, else the knaves would
not have enough to live upon. [Samuel Butler]