The World Meteorological Organization has detected signs of the weather phenomenon "La Nina" on the Korean Peninsula and other parts of Asia.

Creating the opposite effects of El Nino, La Nina drops sea-level temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific to more than half a degree Celsius below normal over five months or longer.

La Nina is expected to lower the temperature of the cold eastern Pacific water, and its move westward could result in severe monsoon rainfall in Southeast Asia, extremely dry weather in Central and Latin America and acute cold spells in the United States.

The phenomenon's direct effects on the Korean Peninsula is unknown, however, as forecasters can only predict droughts in fall and severe cold in winter.