Tropical
Highlights - May 2021
During May
2021, sea surface
temperatures (SSTs) were near-average across much
of the equatorial Pacific (Fig. T18). The latest monthly Niņo indices were -0.7°C for
the Niņo 1+2 region, -0.3°C for the Niņo 3.4 region and -0.1°C for the Niņo 4 region (Fig. T5, Table T2). The depth of
the oceanic thermocline (measured by the depth of the 20°C isotherm) was above-average
across much of the equatorial Pacific (Figs. T15,
T16). The
corresponding sub-surface temperatures were 1-2°C above-average (Fig. T17).
Also during May, the lower-level easterly
winds and the upper-level westerly winds were above-average across most of the equatorial
Pacific (Fig. T20,
Fig. T21). Meanwhile, tropical convection was
near-average over the central equatorial Pacific and enhanced in the western
equatorial Pacific (Figs. T25, E3).
Collectively, these oceanic and atmospheric anomalies reflected ENSO-neutral conditions.
For the latest status of the ENSO
cycle see the ENSO Diagnostic Discussion at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/index.html