Key facts
- Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has declared an El Nino event underway in the tropical Pacific.
- The declaration is based on warming sea surface temperatures and aligned atmospheric indicators.
- Forecasts suggest the event could be strong to very strong, potentially one of the strongest since 1950.
- El Nino events typically bring less rainfall and higher temperatures, impacting agricultural production.
- Past strong El Nino events have historically led to widespread drought and reduced crop yields.
Australia's weather bureau announced on Tuesday that an El Nino event is now underway in the tropical Pacific. The bureau cited aligning atmospheric indicators, including trade winds, pressure patterns, and cloud formations, as confirmation of the phenomenon.
Forecasts suggest that this El Nino event is likely to be strong to very strong, based on the extent of warming observed in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. El Nino is characterized by a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in this region.
Historically, strong El Nino events, such as the one experienced in 2015 and 2016, have been linked to widespread drought, which subsequently impacted global grain and oilseed production. Scientists have also indicated that climate change could intensify the effects of this year's El Nino.