BANGALORE: The La Nina weather pattern could potentially develop during the August-October season, and last through the 2021-2022 winter, the US government’s National Weather Service (NWS) said today.

The La Niña pattern is characterised by unusually low temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and is linked to floods and drought.

Meanwhile, El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are favoured for the remainder of the northern hemisphere summer, the NWS’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said in its monthly forecast.

There is about a 60% chance of ENSO neutral conditions for the July-September season, and a 70% chance of La Nina from November through January 2022, the CPC said.

The ENSO weather pattern is marked by average long-term ocean temperatures, tropical rainfall and atmospheric winds.

Last month, the forecaster said there was a 51% chance of ENSO neutral conditions for the August-October season.