Did La Nina cause the late typhoon season and the large number of typhoons hitting northern Japan this year?
That’s a good question! La Nia does have an effect on the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, by allowing more hurricanes to form than under other conditions. Presumably, there are effects caused by La Nia on typhoon formation as well. La Nia also plays a part in the track that hurricanes take, and likewise it may have had an effect on the track of the western Pacific typhoons. EXPERT: Jim Lushine National Weather Service QUESTION: The Navy meteorology group here in Misawa, Aomori, Japan, told us the temperature in the Sea of Japan is almost one degree warmer than normal this winter. Is this due to global warming or La Nia? Is this why we had a late winter? ANSWER: I can’t be sure. Globally, air temperatures have risen in recent years and this would likely lead to a rise in sea surface temperatures. The direct effects on water temperature from La Nia are confined mainly to the tropical Pacific Ocean, which would be south of the Sea of Japan. The warmer waters may have contribut
