Persistent heavy rains led to flooding and landslides throughout Indonesia in late December 2007 and early January 2008, resulting in numerous fatalities and crop losses. The most heavily populated island in the chain, Java, was the hardest hit—at least 112 people died on the island from flooding or landslides.
Published Jan 8, 2008
La Niña, the counterpart to El Niño, alters rainfall patterns over the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. La Niña develops when stronger-than-average trade winds push the warm surface waters of the equatorial Pacific west. Since cold water rises to replace the warm water, La Niña leaves the eastern and central Pacific Ocean much cooler than normal, while the western Pacific is much warmer than normal. These anomalies in sea surface temperature are mirrored in rainfall patterns, with warmer-than-normal temperatures resulting in enhanced rainfall. In general, La Niña brings unusually heavy rain to the West Pacific, Indonesia, parts of Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.
Published Jan 23, 2008
