GENEVA: The El Nino weather pattern has begun to weaken but will continue to fuel above average temperatures across the globe, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday (Mar 5).
El Nino is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon associated with a disruption of wind patterns that means warmer ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific.
El Nino, which occurs on average every two to seven years, typically lasts nine to 12 months and can provoke extreme weather phenomena such as wildfires, tropical cyclones and prolonged droughts.
WMO spokesperson Claire Nullis said El Nino had peaked in December and would go down as one of the five strongest in history.
“It’s now gradually weakening, but obviously it will continue to impact the global climate in the coming months,” she told reporters in Geneva.
“We do expect above normal temperatures in the coming months, between March and May, and overall in most land areas.”
Source: CNA
