La Niña, even weak, increases climate uncertainties

The occurrence of a weak to moderate La Niña is already sufficient to alter the rainfall regime in the country and generate instability for the rural producer. Danilo Silva, agronomic manager of Netafim, explains that the phenomenon increases rainfall in the North and Northeast, reduces regularity in the South, and causes irregular behavior in the Midwest and Southeast. “We have observed a weak La Niña, but it already causes noticeable changes in the rainfall regime and temperatures, with increased precipitation in the North and Northeast, drier periods in the South, and irregular behavior in the Midwest and Southeast,” he explains. Silva highlights that the effects are not uniform. In the Northeast, some municipalities faced droughts over 60 days, while in the Midwest recent precipitations accelerated soybean planting. In the South, the combination of heat and dry periods requires increased irrigation. He adds that extreme events, such as the tornado in Rio Bonito do Iguaçu (PR), ...