These unprecedented changes are evidently a cause for concern for the environment.

The NOAA says that changes in the El Niño and La Niña weather patterns could impact rainfall in surrounding continents, and that Atlantic Niños have been shown to increase the likelihood of hurricanes near the Cape Verde islands.

According to Michael McPhaden at NOAA, it could also influence the ocean’s cycles – with the Atlantic potentially delaying the Pacific Ocean’s La Niña in ‘a tug of war’ as the Pacific ‘tries to cool itself and the Atlantic tries to warm it’.

So far, whether or not the Atlantic is fully developing into La Niña is still being monitored.

If it does, then predictions on the climate for surrounding areas could change for the remainder of the year.