Editing Drought (section)

==== El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ====
{{Further|El Niño–Southern Oscillation}}
The [[El Niño–Southern Oscillation]] (ENSO) phenomenon can sometimes play a significant role in drought. ENSO comprises two patterns of temperature anomalies in the central [[Pacific Ocean]], known as [[La Niña]] and [[El Niño]]. La Niña events are generally associated with drier and hotter conditions and further exacerbation of drought in [[droughts in California|California]] and the [[Southwestern United States]], and to some extent the [[Southeastern United States|U.S. Southeast]]. Meteorological scientists have observed that La Niñas have become more frequent over time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/la-nina-west-coast-climate/507-f792ab4a-bc35-4e45-9de1-08d8379dfc9b|title=Weather's unwanted guest: Nasty La Niña keeps popping up|author=Seth Borenstein|publisher=9news.com.au.com|date=May 28, 2022|access-date=June 4, 2022|quote=Scientists are noticing that in the past 25 years the world seems to be getting more La Niñas than it used to...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231206185338/https://www.9news.com/amp/article/news/nation-world/la-nina-west-coast-climate/507-f792ab4a-bc35-4e45-9de1-08d8379dfc9b|archive-date=6 December 2023}}</ref>

Conversely, during El Niño events, drier and hotter weather occurs in parts of the [[Amazon River]] Basin, [[Colombia]], and [[Central America]]. Winters during the El Niño are warmer and drier than average conditions in the Northwest, northern Midwest, and northern Mideast United States, so those regions experience reduced snowfalls. Conditions are also drier than normal from December to February in south-central Africa, mainly in [[Zambia]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Mozambique]], and [[Botswana]]. Direct effects of El Niño resulting in drier conditions occur in parts of [[Southeast Asia]] and [[Northern Australia]], increasing [[bush fire]]s, worsening [[haze]], and decreasing air quality dramatically. Drier-than-normal conditions are also in general observed in [[Queensland]], inland [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], inland [[New South Wales]], and eastern [[Tasmania]] from June to August. As warm water spreads from the west Pacific and the [[Indian Ocean]] to the east Pacific, it causes extensive drought in the western Pacific. Singapore experienced the driest February in 2014 since records began in 1869, with only 6.3&nbsp;mm of rain falling in the month and temperatures hitting as high as 35&nbsp;°C on 26 February. The years 1968 and 2005 had the next driest Februaries, when 8.4&nbsp;mm of rain fell.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1040778/1/.html|publisher=Channel NewsAsia|title=February 2010 is driest month for S'pore since records began in 1869|first1=Joanne|last1=Chan|date=3 March 2010|access-date=5 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303222328/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1040778/1/.html|archive-date=3 March 2010}}</ref>