La Niña

[lah nee-nyah]

noun

1. a cool ocean current that develops off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, sometimes following an El Niño but causing nearly the opposite extreme weather conditions.

La Niña

/ læ ˈniːnjə /

noun

1. meteorol a cooling of the eastern tropical Pacific, occurring in certain years

La Niña

1. A cooling of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, occurring somewhat less frequently than El Niño events but causing similar, generally opposite disruptions to global weather patterns. La Niña conditions occur when the Pacific trade winds blow more strongly than usual, pushing the sun-warmed surface water farther west and increasing the upwelling of cold water in the eastern regions. Together with the atmospheric effects of the related southern oscillation, the cooler water brings drought to western South America and heavy rains to eastern Australia and Indonesia.

2. Compare El Niño

Word History and Origins

Origin of La Niña¹

First recorded in 1985–90; from Spanish: literally, “the female child”; patterned after El Niño ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of La Niña¹

C20: from Spanish: The Little Girl, to distinguish it from El Niño

Example Sentences

Whilst the link between La Niña and UK weather isn't clear cut, the Met Office suggests that historically it promotes high pressure to develop in the Atlantic in early winter.

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La Niña has reemerged in the eastern Pacific, a climate pattern that typically drives dry winters across the U.S.

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Last winter’s weak La Niña helped push Southern California into drought, and experts say it could be even more dramatic this year.

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More recently, 2020-21 and 2021-22 were both La Niña seasons, and were drier than normal for downtown Los Angeles.

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But using La Niña as your only crystal ball can prove spectacularly disappointing.

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