The North Atlantic Oscillation is a fluctuation in the difference in sea-level atmospheric pressure between the Icelandic Low and the Azores High, a difference that governs the strength and path of the westerly winds and storm tracks across the North Atlantic. In its positive phase, strong westerlies carry moist Atlantic air into Europe, bringing cool summers, mild winters, and frequent rain to central Europe; in its negative phase, the westerlies weaken, allowing temperature extremes, with heat waves and deep freezes farther north and a shift of storms and rainfall south toward the Mediterranean. The oscillation accounts for much of the variability in North Atlantic weather, especially from November to April, affecting wind speeds, the distribution of temperature, and storm patterns across a wide swath of the region.
Facts
PeriodicityStrongest influence on North Atlantic weather from November to April 1 ScaleNorth Atlantic basin scale, controlling westerly winds and storm tracks across the North Atlantic 1 First DescribedDiscovered through several studies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: North Atlantic oscillation
Lead, sentence on discovery
The NAO was discovered through several studies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Description
Especially during the months of November to April, the NAO is responsible for much of the variability of weather in the North Atlantic region
Lead, sentence on westerly winds and storm tracks
Through fluctuations in the strength of the Icelandic Low and the Azores High, it controls the strength and direction of westerly winds and location of storm tracks across the North Atlantic.
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