After months of record–breaking heat, Brits have been told to brace for a cold and stormy winter, thanks to the Super El Niño that's building in the Pacific Ocean.With the UK separated from the Pacific Ocean by approximately 5,000 miles of land, not to mention the Atlantic Ocean, you might be wondering how El Niño can impact us on British soil.Now, scientists have explained how warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific send 'waves' rippling through the atmosphere.These waves push the world's most powerful weather systems – including the jet stream – off their usual course, wreaking havoc on Britain's winter weather.This winter, experts predict the jet stream will send storms towards the UK along powerful currents of fast–moving winds.While it is still too early to say when these storms will occur, the latest weather predictions agree that bad weather is increasingly likely.Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, told the Daily Mail: 'El Niño conditions increase the chance of storms in late autumn and early winter.'It is too early to comment on flood risk this winter, though again some flooding is to be expected and should be planned for in any UK autumn and winter.' Experts warn that the 'unprecedented' Super El Niño will cause wetter and stormier weather in the UK during autumn and winter From October to November, the Met Office predicts it could start to get colder in the UKEl Niño was officially declared in June, when sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean climbed 0.5°C (0.9°F) above the long–term seasonal average.Now, the Met Office suggests that the natural warming of these critical waters could reach 3°C (5.4°F) in the coming months – with noticeable knock–on effects for Britain.The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a naturally occurring climate cycle that changes between the hot El Niño and cool La Niña phases every two to seven years.During an El Niño phase, the trade winds that normally carry warm waters away from South America towards Australia slow or even reverse.This prevents cold water from welling up and leads to a buildup of hot water near the surface in the equatorial and tropical Pacific Ocean.The buildup of warm water in the Pacific leads to more evaporation and more movement in the atmosphere driven by convection patterns.That means there is more thunderstorm activity over the central and eastern Pacific, but there are also wider effects that can extend as far as Europe and the UK.One of the most obvious consequences for the UK is that there is a greater likelihood of storms in the autumn and early winter.
Why Super El Niño will wreak havoc on Britain this winter
After months of record-breaking heat, Brits have been told to brace for a cold and stormy winter, thanks to the Super El Niño that's building in the Pacific Ocean.












