UN warns strong El Nino could drive global temperatures higher: Here’s what to know

The United Nations weather agency announced on Tuesday that there is a possibility that a strong El Niño could accelerate global temperatures and heighten the danger of extreme weather over the coming months.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, El Niño is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean which commonly lasts between nine and 12 months.

A significant shift has been observed in the Equatorial Pacific with ocean warming rapidly from late April to mid-May suggesting El Niño conditions were developing. 

The agency noted anomalous surface heat and unusually warm subsurface conditions across the tropical Pacific with temperatures surpassing 6 degrees Celsius above average.

In this connection, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said: “We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heat waves both on land and in the ocean.” 

The WMO said southern South America and parts of Africa and central Asia also have a warming effect on the global climate and fuel hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.

It is pertinent to mention that climate change increases the intensity of El Niño, worsening extreme weather heatwaves and rainfall worsening.