Worst ever El Nino to bring heavy rains, drought to Sri Lanka

COLOMOBO: Heavy rains and severe drought are likely to hit Sri Lanka in the coming months as the largely agricultural nation faces its “worst” ever El Nino climate phenomenon, the environment minister said on Thursday. El Nino is a natural climate variation that warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds and rain patterns. Human-caused climate change can amplify its impacts because a warmer ocean and atmosphere make more energy and moisture available to feed extreme weather events.