The world is bracing for the strongest El Nino in history. The United Nations has made the grim prediction that our planet now sits in the “danger zone” of extreme weather. That’s based on data suggesting the current El Nino will break all previous records.El Nino is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that drives variations in temperature and winds across the Pacific Ocean and influences weather around the globe.
Globally, we have endured many strong El Ninos in the past, but none have been as exceptionally strong and developed as quick as this one.
So, what’s behind this potentially record-breaking El Nino? And how might it affect weather across the globe?
Scientists track El Nino activity using temperature data from the tropical Pacific Ocean near the equator. Historically, this has involved measuring how high or low temperatures are across this region. However, scientists and weather organizations, including Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, now use a relative index.
Instead of simply measuring temperatures, this relative index accounts for any background warming due to climate change. This makes it much easier for scientists to identify how intense an El Nino is in a warming climate.
