The impact on the US tends come with a little longer time lag and eventually may involve a stronger storm track across the southern parts of the US and less stormy and milder winters in the northern sections of the country. The California drought could be eased in the process, but with a greater probability of quite severe weather.
Hurricane formation is impacted by the shifting wind patterns, which can lessen the ability of the storms to develop off the west coast of Africa in the tropical Atlantic. Hurricanes may still form, as Arthur did in early July, in the warm waters southeast of Florida and in the Caribbean Islands. What El Niño events underscore is how connected world weather patterns are, which emphasizes the global nature of agricultural markets.
This article was written by CME Group Chief Economist Bluford Putnam.
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