Peru's National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology (SENAMHI) reported that the El Niño phenomenon, which is currently passing from its weak to moderate stage, may already be affecting the crops of mangoes, grapes and citrus in the central and northern parts of the country.
Grinia Avalos, director of Senamhi's Climatology Unit, stated that they have been observing major negative impacts in these cultures since May, as there has been an unusual four degrees Celcius rise in temperatures off the north coast, due to the presence of Kelvin waves recorded between May and June.
"We've seen some temperature anomalies off the northern coast of the country. We still don't know if the cold waters will be able to reverse the mass of warm water. Everything depends on the progress of the South Pacific anticyclone to the north," she said.
She also stated that, for the next three months, the two to three degrees Celsius increase in temperature in the northern and central part of the country would continue.
Meanwhile, Wilfredo Izarra, Agrometeorology specialist at SENAMHI, said the increase in temperature was affecting mango plantations in the process of floral induction, which requires minimum temperatures below seventeen to eighteen degrees Celsius.
"There has been a two to three and a half degrees Celsius increase in temperatures that has affected the start of the flowering process," he said.
In the central region (Ica Valley), the warm temperatures are affecting grape crops, which could hamper the production of pisco and harm small farmers.
The SENAMHI added that they were currently conducting a monitoring system to determine how strong El Niño would be and that they would announce results in the next three months.
Source: Andina