Rising temperatures in Malawi linked to El Niño weather phenomenon
Temperatures are usually cooler at this time of the year.
Malawi is experiencing an unseasonable rise in temperatures, as a naturally occurring weather phenomenon known as El Niño takes hold.
Yobu Kachiwanda, spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services shed light on the situation during an interview with Capital FM. He explained that the higher-than-normal temperatures being recorded across the country are a result of the onset of El Niño episodes.
Usually, at this time of the year, Malawi experiences cooler temperatures and rain drizzles, this is however not the case as temperatures going up to as high as 30 degrees celsius are still being recorded.
He confirmed that compared to previous seasons, both minimum and maximum temperatures have seen a slight increase. However, he emphasized that these conditions are expected to fluctuate in the coming weeks.
“Compared to several seasons ago, minimum temperatures and maximum temperatures have slightly gone up and this is expected to change in the coming week,” he explained. “We should expect temperatures to drop below ten degrees quite soon.”
El Niño, meaning “Little Boy” in Spanish, is a periodic climate pattern characterised by the warming of a strip of water along the equator in the Pacific Ocean.
Typically occurring every two to seven years, this year’s El Niño marks the first one in four years, following a three-year-long La Niña phase that ended in March 2023.
During an El Niño event, warm water accumulates in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, leading to widespread alterations in global weather patterns. Consequently, affected regions experience changes in temperature, rainfall patterns, and disruptions to their usual climatic conditions.
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