Medellín is on the verge of experiencing another episode of poor air quality, the second one this year typically occurring in mid-September. This year, the El Niño phenomenon presents an added complication. With El Niño, there will be reduced rainfall, leading to a higher propensity for PM 2.5 particles, the most harmful to humans, to accumulate in the atmosphere.
However, the situation isn’t all grim. Despite El Niño’s onset, this year’s poor air quality episode is expected to be relatively mild. The Metropolitan Area, the environmental authority, has urged citizens to use public transportation more frequently and consider carpooling with private vehicles to help mitigate the impact.
Projections for this period indicate a medium probability that five or more population stations from the Aburrá Valley Air Quality Monitoring Network will display Harmful levels for sensitive groups (orange Air Quality Index). There’s also a low chance that one of the stations might report a Health-Harming level (red AQI) for a single day.
El Niño will not only affect Medellín and its surrounding region but will also impact a large part of Northern South America. Governments and companies across various sectors in Latin America might have reduced financial flexibility to cope with this emerging El Niño event, reminiscent of the last major one in 2016.
The Colombian Caribbean coast is already experiencing drought, with temperatures reaching 40°C and thermal sensations nearing 50°C. Medellín has frequently recorded temperatures of 31°C. Although reservoir levels are currently reported as stable, there’s a call for maximizing water and energy conservation.