 The La Niña which developed in mid-2007, and lasted until almost 2009, was a moderate one.The strength of La Niña made the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season one of the five most active since 1944; sixteen named storms had winds of at least , eight of which became or greater hurricanes.A new La Niña episode developed quite quickly in the eastern and central tropical Pacific in mid-2010, and lasted until early 2011.