El Nino to be ‘very strong’, to last until February, warns UN
Fuelled by exceptionally warm ocean conditions across the tropical Pacific, El Nino is expected to strengthen further during the coming months to a very strong intensity.
The United Nations' climate agency has issued a warning that the El Nino weather phenomenon will be exceptionally strong and persist until February. El Nino, a natural climate event, is not caused by climate change but is expected to exacerbate the effects of global warming. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts that El Nino will peak near the end of the year and its impact on rainfall, temperature patterns, floods, droughts, and extreme heat will continue into 2027.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described El Nino as "supersized," emphasizing that the planet is in uncharted waters with rapidly rising temperatures. The WMO chief, Celeste Saulo, warned of massive economic losses and called for immediate preparedness in disaster management, agriculture, health, energy, and water sectors.
El Nino occurs every two to seven years and lasts for nine to 12 months, causing changes in global wind patterns, pressure, and rainfall. This exceptionally strong El Nino is expected to reach the highest intensity level, with nearly 100% likelihood of continuing through February. The Pacific Ocean's heating has intensified, with sea surface temperatures 1.5C above the norm, and subsurface temperatures up to 8C above average in some areas.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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