The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Thursday warned of an impending “very strong” El Nino that could last until February of next year and may alter temperature and rainfall patterns globally.
““El Nino is firmly established and is expected to strengthen. It has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world. We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods and we expect these impacts to increase as El Niño intensifies,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo at a press briefing on Thursday.
What is El Nino?
El Nino is a natural ocean-atmosphere phenomenon caused when the equatorial Pacific Ocean warms significantly, interfering with global weather patterns. It is known to trigger extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wet spells, and extreme temperatures.
The intensity of El Nino is determined by the sea surface temperature average over three months in the Nino 3.4 region along the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In recent months, this temperature index value surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal during May-July and further escalated to 2 degrees Celsius above normal in July, confirming rapid intensification.
