Drought and the weather : 2015/2016 in review

Abstract

This past summer South Africa was in the grips of one of the worst El Niño effects to date. This means that ocean surface temperatures in the Niño 3,4 region over the eastern equatorial Pacific increased to as high as 28,8°C in October 2015. With ocean surface temperature ranges in the Niño 3,4 region that compare well with the occurrence of droughts in South Africa, there is reason for concern.