Weather forecasters see La Nina brewing

Forecasters warned Tuesday that a La Nina weather pattern – the nasty flip side of El Nino – is brewing, bringing with it the threat of more hurricanes for the Atlantic.

Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the official end of a brief and mild El Nino that started last year. That El Nino was credited with partially shutting down last summer's Atlantic hurricane activity in the midst of what was supposed to be a busy season.

“We're seeing a shift to the La Nina, it's clearly in the data,” NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher said. La Nina, a cooling of the mid-Pacific equatorial region, has not officially begun because it's a process with several months with specific temperature thresholds, but the trend is obvious based on satellite and ocean measurement data, he said.

“It certainly won't be welcome news for those living off the coast right now,” Mr. Lautenbacher said. But he said that doesn't mean Atlantic seaboard residents should sell their homes.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070227.wlanina0227/BNStory/Science/home