(CNN) It's official -- El Niño is dead.

But its demise doesn't necessarily mean we're done with wild weather.

The recent climate event -- characterized by warming waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean -- has been one of the strongest ever recorded, and its impact has been felt far and wide.

The weather system may even have contributed to the spread of Zika by creating conditions that helped mosquito populations thrive.

So now that El Niño has definitely dissipated , is it finally time for us to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate the fact it won't be back for another two to seven years?

Maybe not.

Because La Niña is hot on El Niño's heels -- and here's what we can expect from the weather system's flip side.

Will Asia bear the brunt?

Just as with El Niño, the most consistent and significant impact will be noticed in the regions that border the Pacific Ocean, where the winds and ocean temperatures show the greatest variation.

Photos: What are the different impacts of La Niña and El Niño? Hide Caption 1 of 4 Photos: What are the different impacts of La Niña and El Niño? Hide Caption 2 of 4 Photos: What are the different impacts of La Niña and El Niño? Hide Caption 3 of 4 Photos: What are the different impacts of La Niña and El Niño? Hide Caption 4 of 4

Wetter than normal conditions are likely for northern Australia and Indonesia, as well as the Philippines.

This rainfall will be welcome in some areas, as El Niño fueled droughts have plagued much of Southeast Asia for the past several months.

Photos: India's drought crisis Photos: India's drought crisis India was hit by the worst drought in decades in 2016. Here, gunmen stand alert at a water reservoir in Tikamgarh, India, on April 27. Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A gunman stands guard at a water reservoir in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A man walks on the dry reservoir bed next to Gunda Dam in India's western Gujarat state on Friday, April 1. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A farmer poses in his dried-up cotton field in Nalgonda, India, on Monday, April 25. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A farmer tries to revive his unconscious cattle in the Gondiya village on Thursday, April 21. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A woman tries to filter water with her sari as a child drinks in the Shankargarh area on April 21. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis Cattle graze in a partially dried-up pond in central India on April 27. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A farmer stands in his field in the village of Bangaye on April 27. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis Villagers fill drinking water from a leaking roadside pipe in Nalgonda on April 25. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A villager walks with his cattle in the dried-up Mansaita River near Allahabad on Wednesday, May 4. Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A villager filters her water through a sieve in Shahapur. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis Villagers in Shahapur throw containers into a well on May 13. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis A villager transports water on his cart on May 13. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: India's drought crisis Children run with containers toward a well in Shahapur, India, on May 13 2016. Hide Caption 14 of 14

La Niña is also expected to give a boost to the Southwest Monsoon over India, which after two disastrous, drought-inducing monsoon seasons , is expected to be above average this year.

La Niña events have previously seen a drop in global average temperatures, which will be welcome news after the recent heatwaves that have struck the region.

However, it's not all positive.

"La Niña increases the risk of intense storms and tropical cyclones for Australia's east coast," says Dr Agus Santoso, a senior scientist at the University of New South Wales.

"While La Nina brings more rain which is good for farming, there are concerns. Flood mitigation measures should be in place."

What about the other side of the Pacific?

Western South America will probably see drier than normal conditions, with the potential for drought in Peru and Chile.

In the U.S., La Niña is likely to bring drier than normal conditions in the Southwest, as well as the Rockies and Southern Plains. Enhanced rainfall normally arrives in the Pacific Northwest and to a lesser extent over the Ohio Valley, as well as below normal temperatures.

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But perhaps the most impactful characteristic of La Niña in North America is the role it can play in the hurricane seasons. The Atlantic hurricane season generally sees an increase in the number of hurricanes and tropical storms due to weaker wind shear, which can inhibit tropical systems from forming.

Over the past decade there have been seven hurricanes or tropical storms that caused at least one billion dollars of damage in the U.S.

What exactly is La Niña?

La Niña is the cool phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern -- a naturally occurring phenomenon that involves fluctuating ocean temperatures in the Pacific.

La Niña is the opposite of El Niño, which is the warm phase of the cycle.

El Niño is characterized by a warming of the waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. La Niña features a cooling of those same Pacific waters.

A La Niña setup begins when strong, easterly winds blow the top-most, warmer layer of water towards Australia and Indonesia, leaving the central-eastern Pacific Ocean as much as four degrees below average.

Experts say that sea surface temperatures have dropped and been neutral since mid-May , which has signaled the demise of El Niño.

Climate models suggest the Pacific will continue to cool, and according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a 75% chance of a La Niña forming by the end of this year.

What happened during the last one?

The most recent La Niña weather pattern began in mid-2010 and continued until 2012.

In 2011, Thailand was hammered by three times its average rainfall.

Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Bangkok residents paddle a makeshift boat through floodwaters on Sunday, October 30. Thai officials warned residents in the capital to be vigilant and expect disruptions with electricity and tap water as Thailand battles its worst flooding in decades. Hide Caption 1 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – People commute along a flooded street near the Chao Phraya River on Sunday in Bangkok. Hide Caption 2 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A Bangkok resident makes his way through a flooded street on Sunday. Hide Caption 3 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – People travel on a truck along a flooded street on Sunday in Bangkok. Hide Caption 4 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Residents commute along a flooded street on Sunday. Hide Caption 5 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Thai residents wade through waist-high waters in Bangkok on Friday, October 28, after heavy floods swept through the area. Hundreds of people have died from flood-related incidents since July. Hide Caption 6 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A Thai police officer directs traffic as cars pass through flooded streets on Friday. Residents have begun leaving Bangkok to escape the rising waters. Hide Caption 7 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – People paddle and walk through a flooded neighborhood near the Chao Praya River. Hide Caption 8 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Residents evacuating their neighborhoods get off a rescue boat near the Chao Praya River. Hide Caption 9 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Thai residents walk in floodwaters along a street in the Chinatown section of Bangkok. Hide Caption 10 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – People travel through floodwaters on a boat as they evacuate their neighbourhood next to the Chao Praya river in Bangkok.. Hide Caption 11 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Residents wait for a rescue boat as they evacuate their neighborhood next to the Chao Praya River in Bangkok on Friday. Hide Caption 12 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A man smokes a cigarette outside his home as floodwaters rise in Bangkok on Wednesday, October 26. The government has called the flooding the worst to afflict the nation in half a century. Hide Caption 13 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – People walk through a flooded street in Bangkok's Chinatown on Wednesday. Thailand derives a significant portion of its revenue from tourism, which has been diminished by the flooding. Hide Caption 14 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A man pulls a makeshift raft through a flooded street in Bangkok on Wednesday. Floodwaters extend from Rangsit, north of Bangkok, to the Don Muang airport and Yingcharoen Market. Hide Caption 15 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A woman sits with her daughter in the window of their flooded condo. Residents have been urged to flee the rising waters. Hide Caption 16 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A man lies on a couch Wednesday in his flooded Bangkok home. Gov. Sukhumbhand Paripatra says that despite the risk, it is difficult to persuade people to leave their homes. Hide Caption 17 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Women stand in a flooded residential area in Bangkok's Chinatown. Overall damage from the floods could top $6 billion, the Thai Finance Ministry said. Hide Caption 18 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Evacuated residents stand among tents in a shelter set up for flood victims at Don Muang airport. Floodwaters forced the airport to close, and it now serves as a base of flood relief operations. Hide Caption 19 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A man holds his dog and stands by his belongings at the Don Muang airport. He's waiting to be transferred to a new evacuation center. Hide Caption 20 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – A girl tries to catch fish in floodwaters outside her house Wednesday. Hide Caption 21 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Children play in flooded streets in Bangkok. It might take more than a month for the waters to recede in some areas, officials say. Hide Caption 22 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Bangkok residents watch television in a flooded beauty salon on Wednesday. Hide Caption 23 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Buddhist monks walk toward a pier along the Chao Phraya River, which winds through the capital. Hide Caption 24 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Workers construct a sandbag wall Wednesday along the Chao Praya River, anticipating that it would overtop its embankments over the weekend. Hide Caption 25 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – An elderly woman in Bangkok is helped onto a truck to be taken to a hospital. The flooding has affected more than 9.5 million people, authorities said. Hide Caption 26 of 27 Photos: Photos: Heavy flooding in Thailand Heavy flooding in Thailand – Chinatown residents make their way through a flooded street on Wednesday. The water has caused problems for small vehicles and led to traffic congestion. Hide Caption 27 of 27

More than 75% of the country's provinces saw flooding , which led to more than $40 billion in damage and the deaths of 815 people

"The higher sea surface temperature acts like an additional fuel to storms, and the elevated sea level increases the risk of storm surge, coastal erosion and flooding," says Santoso.

"These are the kind of catastrophes that exert significant damage to properties and claim lives."

According to Dr. Santoso, the risk for a strong La Niña is enhanced following a strong El Niño, such as the one we just had over the last year. While he says the believes our capacity to predict and anticipate disastrous weather events has improved in recent years, he still has his reservations.

"My concern is whether the public and the government are ready for a strong La Niña event," he says.