NEW YORK (Reuters) - The La Nina weather anomaly has strengthened and there is a chance it could plague countries around the Asia-Pacific rim until the summer, the government's Climate Prediction Center said Thursday.
The weather phenomenon should last through June and even though there are considerable differences in the computer models, approximately half indicate that "La Nina could continue well into the Northern Hemisphere summer."
La Nina, which means "little girl" in Spanish, usually results in cooler than normal water in the equatorial Pacific which in turn drenches the Pacific Northwest while sparking drought in the parched U.S. Southwest.
The CPC said the northern Rockies, the Pacific Northwest, and the Ohio and Tennessee valleys should see above-average rain. The south and southeastern United States will receive below-average rain.
The center said above-average rains should drench Indonesia and saw below-average rainfall in the central Pacific. But a searing drought has also battered Australia.
