Is a super El Niño imminent, and what could the impacts be?
In the past month, weather models have begun to show that a very strong El Niño climate phase could develop later this year, potentially the strongest we have ever seen.
Many are calling this a “super El Niño” or even a “Godzilla El Niño”. It could bring droughts to some areas of the world, floods to others and set the planet up for the hottest year on record.
“The forecast from now is warming faster in the tropical Pacific than at any other time so far this century,” says Adam Scaife at the Met Office, the UK’s national weather service. “So something unusual is going on.”
