The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency, warned today that the current El Niño phenomenon will intensify further and peak in December, potentially ranking among the strongest events recorded since at least 1950.
According to AFP, the WMO stated in its latest global seasonal climate update: “El Niño is expected to strengthen further and peak in December. This is likely to result in above-average temperatures across much of the globe and alter precipitation patterns, increasing the risk of droughts and floods in various regions.”
El Niño causes sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific to rise, thereby triggering changes in global wind, air pressure, and rainfall patterns.
Based on a consensus among 13 major national and international meteorological centers, the WMO forecasts that sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific will reach record highs between now and the end of December, indicating an intensifying El Niño.
The WMO noted that this will influence weather patterns and impact economies, ecosystems, and communities worldwide.
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