WASHINGTON (AP) — La Nina, the cooler and at times costlier flip side of El Niño, has arrived to warp weather worldwide, meteorologists said Thursday. This natural weather phenomenon often turbocharges the Atlantic hurricane season, but this La Niña may be too weak and fleeting to cause much trouble.

In the United States, La Niña often means more precipitation — including possible snowstorms — in northern areas and winter dryness in the South. It can bring heavier rains in Indonesia, the Philippines, parts of Australia, Central America, northern South America and southeastern Africa. It also can mean drought in the Middle East, eastern Argentina, eastern China, Korea and southern Japan, meteorologists said.

A La Niña occurs when certain parts of the Central Pacific Ocean cool by half a d

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