El Nino is forecast to become the strongest in four decades of comparable records, the United Nations' weather agency warned Thursday, as the U.N. chief said the world was entering the "danger zone of extreme weather."
The weather phenomenon is expected to strengthen to "very strong" levels in the coming months and is almost certain to persist through February, the World Meteorological Organization said.
"If this trajectory continues, it may be stronger than anything since our monitoring began," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo told reporters in Geneva.
El Nino is expected to peak toward the end of this year, but its effects on global weather and climate could persist well into 2027, the WMO said.
The phenomenon occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, triggering widespread changes in atmospheric circulation, winds, pressure and rainfall patterns around the world.
