There is a 55 percent chance of a weak La Nina impacting global weather and climate patterns during the next three months, according to the latest updates from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Thursday.
La Nina refers to the periodic large-scale cooling of the surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, coupled with changes in tropical atmospheric circulation, including shifts in winds, pressure, and rainfall patterns.
According to the latest forecasts from the WMO Global Producing Centers for Seasonal Prediction, as of mid-November 2025, oceanic and atmospheric indicators reveal borderline La Nina conditions, with a 55 percent probability of crossing La Nina thresholds during the period between December 2025 and February 2026.
For January-March and February-April 2026, the likelihood of returning to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral conditions gradually rises from about 65 percent to 75 percent. There is little likelihood of an El Nino, which typically has the opposite impacts of La Nina.
Naturally occurring large-scale climate events such as La Nina and El Nino are taking place in the broader context of human-induced climate change, which is increasing global temperatures in the long term, exacerbating extreme weather and climate events, and impacting seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns.
To provide a more comprehensive climate outlook, the WMO also issues regular Global Seasonal Climate Updates (GSCU), taking into account the influence of key climate variability patterns, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Arctic Oscillation, and the Indian Ocean Dipole. The updates also monitor global and regional anomalies of surface temperature and precipitation and their evolution over the upcoming season.
According to the latest GSCU, for December 2025 to February 2026, temperatures are expected to be above normal in much of the Northern Hemisphere, and large parts of the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, rainfall predictions resemble conditions typically observed during a weak La Nina.
WMO forecasts weak La Nina in coming months
Amid the rubble and relentless hardship of the Gaza Strip, a young displaced musician refuses to let war silence his strings, playing every day to bring fleeting moments of joy to those around him.
Samih Al-Madhoon, a resilient young performer who is still only 18-years-old, has been left displaced at the Al-Shati Camp in Gaza, but his love for music burns strongly and gives him a sense of hope for the future, despite whatever challenges lie ahead.
The Israel-Hamas conflict saw him lose his home and most of the things he held dear in life, including having to leave behind his beloved musical instrument.
"I tried to stay consistent with my playing and my talent, and to stay continuing in this path, but unfortunately during this period of displacement I lost my oud. I lost my instrument, and I lost many things that belong to me in music. And I lost [the ability to play] musical notes," he said. However, when he finally returned to playing, holding his cherished oud in his hands once more, he said he cried at once again being able to express himself through music.
Al-Madhoon has continued his musical career with a sense of determination, persistence, and talent that belies the chaos he has witnessed all around him.
He said he wants to use his music to comfort his peers who are currently living in harsh conditions, and he is seen regularly performing to others as he looks to ease people's pain all around him.
"Through music, I deliver my voice and the voice of the people of Gaza Strip, and the people of Palestine in general, that we are people who love life and peace. During this period, during the war, I play to comfort them, to make them a little happier, and to change their mood," he said.
The young performer still hopes that he will be able to live a peaceful life and perhaps one day get the chance to pursue his musical dreams on bigger stages, instead of amid the ruins and rubble of the destroyed streets of Gaza.
"My wish is to live in safety and peace, build new houses for us, rebuild the home, rebuild my memories with music, return to learning music, and to be on big stages. And I hope that I can leave to complete my studies outside the Gaza Strip and become a maestro in music," he said.
Gaza musician bravely keeps on playing to deliver sounds of joy amid devastation
