Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies for the week centred on Nov. 1, 2023, in degrees Celsius. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

El Nino to continue through Northern Hemisphere spring, U.S. forecaster says

Reuters — El Nino weather conditions will continue through the Northern Hemisphere during April-June 2024 with a 62 per cent chance, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. “Above-average sea surface temperatures (SST) across the equatorial Pacific Ocean were indicative of a strong El Nino, with anomalies increasing in the central and east-central Pacific

File photo of vessels on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans on Nov. 5, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Low water on Mississippi to persist despite improved drought outlook

Risk of getting stuck mean less grain per barge

Chicago | Reuters — Low water levels on the lower Mississippi River are likely to persist through at least January despite expected above-normal precipitation across the southern U.S. this winter, forecasters with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday. The severe to exceptional drought choking the lower Mississippi River valley is expected to


Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in degrees Celsius on Oct. 18, 2023. (NOAA.gov)

El Nino worries Brazil soy farmers as planting progresses, grain lobby says

Dry weather has pushed back planting

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Soybean farmers in top growing state Mato Grosso worry that scarce rains and high temperatures will lead to replanting of some areas while lowering yields in others, local grain farmer lobby Aprosoja-MT said Thursday. The unusual heat and dryness has been linked to the El Nino weather pattern, which is

El Niño and chaos theory

Will Western Canada have the textbook warm and dry El Niño winter?

El Niño can affect the kind of weather we might expect this winter. The formation and movement of one system can impact how other systems behave around the world. This is called teleconnection, which refers to the long-distance relationships or connections between climate events that occur in different parts of the world. This fundamental concept


Global sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Aug. 30, 2023. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

Rest of September to be warmer than normal for Prairies

Southern Prairies to remain drier than normal

MarketsFarm — As summer turns to autumn on the Canadian Prairies, the weather outlook for the rest of September is for temperatures to be warmer than normal, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. One of the factors in those forthcoming temperatures is the El Niño that has been developing over the last several

File photo of idled equipment in drought conditions on a farm in New South Wales, Australia. (f.ield_of_vision/iStock/Getty Images)

Australian crop estimates adjusted slightly lower

Crop seen down 34 per cent from last year

MarketsFarm — Total 2023-24 winter crop production in Australia, at an estimated 45.2 million tonnes, is expected to be 34 per cent off the record highs hit last year but slightly above the June forecast as upward revisions to canola and barley counter a downward revision to the wheat number, according to the latest crop


Photo: Thinkstock

How El Niño threatens emerging market economies

Significant changes to rainfall, or prolonged droughts, could also impact hydropower output, boost food, fuel prices

London | Reuters – Countries around the world are battling heatwaves and floods fueled by El Niño, a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that has a 90 per cent probability of persisting in the second half of 2023, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The worldwide impact can be enormous, but the stakes are higher for

File photo of a field pea crop in western New South Wales, Australia. (Alfio Manciagli/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Dryness to cut into Australian production

MarketsFarm — Dry conditions and low soil moisture reserves in key Australian growing regions, along with expectations for developing El Nino weather patterns, are expected to cut into the country’s pulse production in 2023-24, despite steady to higher seeding intentions for several crops, according to the latest crop report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural


Forecast probability of above- or below-normal temperatures for the period from May 29 to June 26, 2023. Map issued May 25, 2023. (Map: Environment Canada)

A hot, dry Prairie June ahead

El Nino pattern could arrive

MarketsFarm — June is expected to see a continuation of the hot and dry weather most of the Canadian Prairies has experienced in May, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. “It looks like late spring/early summer is pretty hot across almost all of Western Canada. The Prairies are all above normal [temperature-wise],” Kehler

(Qingwa/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Traders, analysts anticipate WASDE report

El Nino also worth watching longer-term

MarketsFarm — While traders and analysts continue to keep an eye on weather conditions, their collective focus will momentarily shift on Friday when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases its monthly world agricultural supply/demand estimates (WASDE). This month’s report will be highly significant as it will announce the first U.S. crop production estimates for