|
WHAT
on Earth is happening to our weather!!!
 These
days, there is a noticeable change in the weather pattern, not only here in
Sarawak but worldwide. This change has been attributed to the weather pheomenon
known as EL Nino. What is EL Nino and where did
the nama EL Nino come from?
The name EL Nino (meaning
"the child") was originally given by Peruvian fishermen to a warm current that
appeared every year around Christmas. It wasn't until the 1962s that people
started realising this was not just a local Peruvian occurrence, but was associated
with changes over the entire tropical Pacific and beyond. In effect, EL
Nino was too big to be seen as the mega-event it is; it just seemed
like a lot of unconnected unusual weather events around the world.
In a narrow sense, it's a giant puddle
of heated water that sloshes across the Pacific Ocean. From NASA satellites,
the big picture emerge: a colossal pool of warm seawater, half as large as the
USA, builds up in the western Pacific over a period of months. This massive
wedge of warm sea contains 20 or 30 times as much water as all the Great Lakes
put together.
Scientists
are divided on what triggers the buildup. Some say it begins when strong west-blowing
winds near the equator - the trade winds - push against the sea and drive sun-warmed
surface waters against Indonesia and Australia. There the waters pile up like
driftwood blown into a harbour. There are other, more elaborate theories about
what causes EL Nino but the truth is, no one really knows.
Whatever the cause is, Sarawak is
not being spared from the effects of EL Nino. Wheather patterns
in Sarawak are also changing. For example, rainfall is now negligible in areas
which used to get heavy downpour, resulting in long dry spell and water shortages.
Meanwhile, places which normally enjoy fine and sunny weather at this time of
year are now experiencing flash floods and thunderstorms!
What
is the impact of EL Nino across the globe? From studies done by
scientist monitoring the phenomenon, it is clear that EL Nino has
done severe damage to living organisms around the world. The following is a
sample representation of localised impact of EL Nino:-
China: The Yangtze River in
China becomes impassable to shipping in 137 places due to drought during August/September
1997.
India/Sri Lanka: Drought;
fresh water shortages; cholera.
Indonesia: The worst drought
in 50 years hits the country. Hundreds of forest fires - many deliberately set
by unsrupulous companies to clear land - burn out of control for the last half
of 1997, creating a cloud of smoke that chokes the entire region. The cloud
sends air pollution levels rocketing throughout Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines,
Malaysia and Thailand.
Pacific Ocean: This year's
EL Nino is the strongest ever recorded, with ocean temperatures
currently 9 - 15 degrees Fahrenheit greater than normal in parts of the Pacific.
The anomaly is measured off the west coast of Peru and extends 6,000 - 8,000
miles into the Pacific. This record temperature was reached in half the time
taken by the previous record holder in 1982 - 1983. The trade winds, which normally
blow from east to west, stop and reverse direction (to blow from west to east)
three separate times, an all-time record for an EL Nino. Around
the Pacific Islands, coral reefs die.
Atlantic Ocean: The 1997 Atlantic
hurricane season produced the fewest hurricanes since 1914. EL Nino creates
abnormal high-level winds that prevent the formation of Caribbean hurricanes
but increase the formation of Pacific hurricanes (such as Nora, Pauline and
Linda) which have devastated Mexico. 
Mexico: Hurricane Pauline,
packing winds of 125 mph and dropping as much as 20 inches of rain in 24 hours,
devastates the Pacific coast here, killing over 400 people, many in Acapulco.
At least 7 major mud slides strike. Waves over 30 feet in height devastate small
fishing vessels. Officials say that Mexico has only been hit by one storm more
severe that Pauline, in 1959. Officials blame the storm's intensity on EL
Nino's warm water near the Pacific coast.
What is being done to minimise
the impact of EL Nino?
A group of weather experts - meteorologists,
oceanographers and climatologists pooled their resources in Thailand recently
to share their findings on the "EL Nino -related crises." They
agreed to establish a regional advisory body so that the various governments
can better co-ordinate their resources, be more informed and well prepared to
counter the effects of EL Nino.
Another achievement in the
counter-measures is the ability to predict the onset of EL Nino at
least six months in advance, although a twelve-month period is being looked
into. This would greatly benefit various parties such as farmers and industrial
workers. Farmers, for example can take measures to plant other crops and prepare
themselves to avert the danger of crop failure.
Undoubtedly, the weather pattern
is changing and weather experts are stepping up their efforts to reinvent existing
arsenals to combat the onslaught of "EL Nino-related crises."
Progress is slow but when these efforts come to fruition then all can be confident
enough to face the effects of the adverse weather condition. In the meantime,
much more needs to be done to fully comprehend the magnitude of the weather
phenomenon known as the EL Nino.
|
Some DONT's to minimise
the effects of EL Nino ....
|
| 1. DO NOT
burn rubbish in the open burning of vegetation plot or household wastes
is an absolute no. Over-dry surroundings during the drought season can
be ignited easily.
2. Be
very careful when handling matches. Do not throw away lighted matches
without ensuring that the stubs are properly extinguished. Remember,
dry materials catch fire easily. (A note to smokers: maybe, now is a
good time as any to resolve to quit the habit!)
3. DO
NOT use weed-killers to spray on open grassland such as cemetery plots
or' kebun tanaman sayuran' to get rid of long grasses and weed. The
grassess will no doubt dry up faster and time will be saved from merely
cutting the grass. But if nothing is done to monitor the dry patch of
land, it will be just like a disaster waiting to happen. It's best to
cut or mown the grass than to cut corners by spraying with weed killers.
4. Last
but not least, cut down on water and electricity consumption to make
our water reserves(hydropower) last longer. Do not leave the faucets
running while brushing your teeth, for instance. Or make sure to turn
off lights or airconditioners when no one is in the office during lunch
hours.
|
|
