El Nino has set in and will rapidly strengthen, UN weather agency warns
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- The World Meteorological Organization confirmed that El Nino has set in and is expected to rapidly strengthen into a strong event between July and September.
- This development increases the likelihood of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall, across many parts of the world.
- The WMO is enhancing early warning systems to help climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and health prepare for the impacts of El Nino.
The United Nations' weather agency warned Friday that the El Nino phenomenon has officially begun and is poised to become a strong event. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated that El Nino, a natural climate pattern that warms Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, is expected to gain strength rapidly between July and September.
El Nino conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are forecast to strengthen rapidly over the coming months, increasing the likelihood of... extreme weather events in many parts of the world.
This rapid development significantly raises the probability of extreme weather events globally. The WMO's seasonal climate update indicates a consistent and substantial warming of ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, with forecasts showing anomalies exceeding 2C in key monitoring regions. This outlook has high confidence due to remarkable agreement among different climate models.
El Nino is expected to continue strengthening during the Northern Hemisphere autumn, with its influence extending across many regions of the globe.
El Nino typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts about nine to 12 months. Its influence is expected to intensify across many regions as it strengthens through the Northern Hemisphere autumn. The WMO highlighted that the equatorial Atlantic basin is also anticipated to remain warmer than average. The agency is bolstering its early warning support, particularly for agriculture and health sectors, emphasizing that timely forecasts are crucial for saving lives and mitigating economic and community impacts.
El Nino conditions are already under way and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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