As forecasters warn that a potentially powerful El Nino could develop in the coming months, headlines describing a possible "Godzilla" or "monster" event have renewed global attention on the climate phenomenon.
"The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a video statement on social media. "El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. Impacts will hit even harder, travel even farther and cross borders with devastating speed.”
Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said there is an 80% chance of El Nino developing between June and August and nearly a 90% chance it will persist through at least November. The agency said forecast models point to at least a moderate event and possibly a strong one.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there is a 63% chance of a "very strong" El Nino developing later this year or early next year.
While the phenomenon can trigger major weather disruptions around the globe, experts caution that some of the public discussion surrounding El Nino often blurs the line between scientific projections and speculation.
