Experts: El Nino forms in Pacific, may reach record intensity

Meteorologists say an El Nino event has formed in the Pacific Ocean as sea surface temperatures continue to rise well above normal levels, raising concerns that it could become one of the strongest such events on record.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has officially confirmed the presence of El Nino. According to NOAA, there is a 63% chance that the event will intensify sharply by late autumn or early winter this year.

Jon Gottschalck, chief of operational prediction at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, said that persistently elevated ocean heat content and unusually warm subsurface waters across a broad area of the Pacific are strong indicators that an El Nino event is developing.

Based on current conditions, Gottschalck said the event could become one of the strongest El Ninos since records began in 1950.

Meteorologists predict that the current event could rival or even surpass the powerful 1997-1998 El Nino, which triggered widespread heatwaves, floods, droughts, tornadoes and wildfires around the world, causing tens of billions of dollars in economic losses.

Experts warn that El Nino is likely to add to the effects of global warming and increase both the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

Muhammad Azhar Ehsan, a climate scientist at Columbia University, said one of the most noticeable impacts of El Nino is a rise in global average temperatures. Higher temperatures, he noted, can create conditions that favor more frequent and severe extreme weather events.

Ehsan said that as temperatures rise, people are likely to experience more heatwaves and heavier rainfall events.

Experts say the coming months will be critical in determining the ultimate strength of the event, but early indicators suggest the world could face heightened climate risks as El Nino continues to develop.