SUVA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Tonga's Meteorology Department said on Friday that the Pacific island country is experiencing unusually cold weather, with cool days and cooler nights, and climate is leaning towards El Nino conditions.
According to the Matangi Tonga news website, a low of 9.3 degrees Celsius, recorded at the end of July in Tongatapu island where the capital Nuku'alofa is located, was the lowest on record for the island country of this year.
The report said it's also second lowest to the national minimum temperature record at 8.7 degrees Celsius, which was recorded in 1994 during the 1994/95 El Nino.
The average temperature in July for Tongatapu is 21 degrees Celsius, and local people are trying to keep warm, the report said.
The Meteorology Department issued an El Nino alert for Tonga last month, saying there is a 70-percent chance of El Nino forming this year.
The department said an El Nino event can last for 9 to 12 months from when it is declared.
According to the department, Tonga has seen this colder nighttime temperature for the last four to six weeks and has been experiencing below 12 degrees Celsius, which is not common during normal winter seasons.
The Meteorology Department advised it will be more likely that the cold will continue on with this El Nino season. ■
