El Niño one of the strongest since 1950

Experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have warned that the current El Niño is expected to peak between October and January and could turn into one of the strongest since 1950. Climate models and experts suggest that surface waters in the east-central Pacific Ocean will be more than 2° hotter than average, which bears a resemblance to the El Niño of 1997/98.

Maxx Dilley, director of the WMO’s Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch, said, typically, the warm air above the eastern Pacific causes increased precipitation over the West Coast of South America and dry conditions over the Australia/Indonesia Archipelago and the Southeast Asia. Dilley added that El Niño can also bring higher rainfall and floods to the Horn of Africa, but drier conditions in southern Africa. To read more, click HERE.