North India To Shiver At 3 Degrees As La Nina Brings Colder Winter

 

La Nina: Temperatures in India are expected to fall to as low as 3 degrees Celsius (37 Fahrenheit) in some northern areas in January and February.

A weather phenomenon that typically delivers harsher winters is on the way and expected to add to Asia's energy crisis.

The La Nina pattern, which forms when equatorial trade winds strengthen to bring colder, deep water up from the bottom of the sea, has emerged in the Pacific. That typically spells below-normal temperatures in the northern hemisphere and has prompted regional weather agencies to issue warnings about a frigid winter. 

Several nations and particularly China, the top energy consumer, are grappling with surging fuel prices and for some, power shortages or curbs on supply to heavy industry. Coal and gas prices are already elevated and a bitter winter will add heating demand that'll likely spur further gains.

 "We are expecting temperatures to be colder than normal this winter across northeastern Asia," said Renny Vandewege, a vice president of weather operations at data provider DTN. "Weather forecast data is a critical component of predicting how much energy load will be required."