China braces for 'super' El Nino's destructive prelude

China is experiencing a severe onslaught of extreme weather, from devastating typhoons and floods to intense heat. Researchers attribute this surge in volatile conditions to a developing "super" El Nino.

Scientists caution that the current events are merely a prelude to what may come. The ongoing El Nino has already demonstrated "extreme destructive power," according to Jiang Hua, chief El Nino forecaster at the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Centre. She noted that the intensity of this year's event could rival the historic super El Nino of 1997-98.

Jiang and her team detected significant warm water anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans in March. These anomalies could converge in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, accelerating the El Nino's development. The full impact of such a powerful El Nino often manifests most severely in the year following its initial development, suggesting a potentially perilous future for China and the globe.

“

The entire tropical Pacific is like a pot of boiling soup. In terms of intensity, this year’s El Nino could already rival the historically recognised super El Nino of 1997-98.