DRAFT Weather watch

London - The impact of the weather emerges as a prominent theme in this issue of ERJ magazine – affecting both producers and end users of natural rubber-based materials.

According to a report from the International Rubber Consortium (IRCo), prolonged El Nino weather conditions are expected to decrease global natural rubber (NR) production in 2015.

The El Nino effect is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific.

As forecast by the US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, in 2015 the weather phenomenon has been at its strongest in 18 years and is likely to linger until early 2016.

The weather condition, IRCo noted, has added to the production restraints in the south east Asian region, where low NR prices and excessive supply have already impacted production.

Moreover, weather experts are also warning that this year’s El Nino will lead to an extremely cold winter in Europe – a concern for many, but music to the ears of many in the tire manufacturing sector.

Indeed at this year’s IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, new winter tire models were more prominent than ever on the stands of tire makers including Michelin, Bridgestone, Hankook and Nexen.

Seems that these and other tire makers who have suffered from relatively mild winters in Europe over the past three years are already dreaming of a white Christmas.