9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
A- A A+
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF
MALAYSIAN METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Home Education Weather Weather Phenomena
Weather Terminology
Weather Phenomena
Meteorological Instruments
Weather Phenomena
Monsoon Thunderstorms El Niño / La Niña Tropical Cyclone Heat Wave Hai
What is El Niño?
Every two to seven years, warm ocean currents replace the normally cool ocean currents off the
west coast of Peru, South America. This ocean phenomenon is called El Niño. This ocean warming
has been found to occur over a wider area covering the central and eastern Pacific and is
associated with significant unusual weather events in certain parts of the world such as severe
floods and prolonged droughts. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Australia, the weather conditions
are drier than normal while in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator they usually
experience humid conditions.
Typically, El Niño lasts for 6 to 18 months. It usually forms in the middle of the year, peaks at the
end of the year and weakens towards the beginning of the following year. El Niños of the same
intensity do not necessarily produce the same climate patterns.
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 1/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 2/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
How is El Nino linked to atmospheric conditions?
During El Niño, warmer sea surface water in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean
supplies additional heat and moisture to the overlying atmosphere. This induces strong updrafts
and thus lowers the surface pressure within the updraft area. The moist air that rises condenses
and forms a large area of thunderstorms and heavy rain in the area. In the western part of the
Pacific including Malaysia, atmospheric pressure increases, causing relatively dry weather.
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 3/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
During normal (neutral) conditions, atmospheric surface pressure in the western Pacific is usually
low while in the central and eastern Pacific it is high. In this situation, generally the condition of
the western Pacific region is humid while the central and eastern Pacific is dry.
This alternating atmospheric surface pressure pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean as the oceanic
condition changes from El-Niño to neutral and vice versa is called the Southern Oscillation. This
coupling relationship between the atmosphere and the ocean during El Niño event is known as El
Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Is there a phase opposite to the El Nino phase?
At times, though not always, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean are
lower than normal. This phenomenon is called La Niña, a condition opposite to El Niño. In this
situation, the surface atmospheric pressure in the western equatorial Pacific region decreases,
causing more active cloud formation and heavy rain.
During La Niña conditions, atmospheric surface pressure increases in the central and eastern
Pacific while surface pressure decreases in the western Pacific. La Niña conditions are also known
as the cold phase of ENSO.
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 4/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
How do we monitor El Niño and the atmospheric response?
The basic parameters used to monitor El Niño and the atmospheric response include sea surface
temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, temperature below the ocean surface up to a depth of
150 meters, cloud conditions and unusual rainfall patterns in the Pacific Ocean.
Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)
Because atmospheric pressure and sea temperature are closely related, an atmospheric index
called the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) is also used to measure the atmospheric response to
this phenomenon. This index is calculated from the difference in monthly atmospheric pressure
fluctuations between Tahiti (representing the eastern Pacific) and Darwin (representing the
western Pacific). If there is a significant negative SOI value, persisting for at least six months, we
are experiencing an El Niño condition. The greater the negative value, the higher the intensity of El
Niño. Conversely, high positive SOI values indicate La Niña conditions. A strong El Niño/La Niña is
usually represented by an SOI of 1.5 (negative for El Niño and positive for La Niña) or more and
prolonged while moderate conditions are represented by an index ranging between 0.8 and 1.5. A
weak El Niño condition is between 0.4 and 0.8.
(Sumber: Climate & Global Dynamic, NCAR)
Oceanic Niño Index (ONI)
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 5/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
Another definition of El Niño and La Niña conditions used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) is defined as the change in ocean surface temperature in the Niño 3.4
region (5°N-5°S, 120°W-170°W), referred to as Oceanic Niño Index (ONI). Using this index, El Niño is
characterized by an ONI of +0.5°C or more while La Niña is -0.5°C or less. The condition to classify an
El Niño/ La Niña episode is that the ONI value must be equal to or exceed the threshold value
(+/-0.5°C) continuously for at least five months.
Frequency of occurrence of El Nino/La Nina
The Climate Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (CPC, NOAA) has
listed the episodes as El Niño and La Nina years based on the Oceanic Niño Index as follows:
El Nino La Nina
Very
Weak Moderate Strong Weak Moderate Strong
Strong
1951- 1950-
52 51
1952- 1954-
53 55
1979- 1963-64 1955-56
1953- 80 1964-
1986-87 1970-71
54 1957- 1982- 65 1995- 1973-
1994- 1987-88 1998-99
1958- 58 83 1967- 96 74
95
59 1991-92 1965- 1997- 68 2000- 1999-00 1975-
2004-
1968- 2002-03 66 98 1971- 01 2007-08 76
05
69 1972- 2015- 72 2011- 1988-
2006- 2009-10 2010-11
1969- 73 16 1974- 12 89
07 2014-15 2020-21
70 75
2018-19 2021-22
1976- 1983-
77 84
1977- 1984-
78 85
What is the climate change during El Niño?
In the Tropics, cloudy conditions and thunderstorm activities shift from the western Pacific to the
central and eastern Pacific, causing unusually dry conditions in Malaysia, Indonesia, the
Philippines and northern Australia during El Niño. Hotter and drier weather also occurs in
southeast Africa, India and northern Brazil. Wetter weather occurs along the west coast of tropical
South America and the gulf coast of North America as shown in the diagram below.
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 6/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
What is the typical impact in Malaysia?
With the presence of a moderate or strong El Niño, rainfall in Sabah and Sarawak will be far below
average during the Southwest monsoon (June-August) and Northeast monsoon (November-
February), on the other hand in Peninsular Malaysia the rainfall is below average level only during
Southwest monsoon (June-August).
A weak El Niño condition is identified to have a minimal impact on rainfall in Malaysia.
Furthermore, below and above average rainfall can also occur in non-El Niño/La Niña years.
BASE
Disclaimer
Security Policy
Privacy Policy
Copyright Notice
STATISTIC & ACHIEVEMENT
Client Charter Achievement
Website Visitor Statistics
LINK
myGovernment
NRES
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 7/8
9/4/24, 2:59 PM METMalaysia - Weather Phenomena
Open Data Portal
CONTACT US
Office Address
Location Map
Staff Directory
Malaysian Meteorological Department
Jalan Sultan 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: (603) 79678000 | Fax: (603) 79550964 | Hotline: 1-300-22-1638
2024 MET Malaysia. All Rights Reserved.
Updated : 4 Sep 2024
https://www.met.gov.my/en/pendidikan/fenomena-cuaca/#El Niño / La Niña 8/8
