Lightning strikes the sky above the city of Houston, Texas, the United States, June 21, 2023. (Photo by Chen Chen/Xinhua)
Given recent developments, forecasters are more confident in a "strong" El Nino event, with roughly two in three odds of temperatures rising by about 1.5 degrees Celsius or more in November-January.
NEW YORK, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- El Nino is expected to continue through the Northern Hemisphere from December 2023 to February 2024, with more than 95 percent chance, a U.S. government weather agency has estimated.
El Nino and La Nina are climate patterns in the Pacific Ocean that can affect weather worldwide.
During El Nino, trade winds weaken. Warm water is pushed back east, toward the west coast of the Americas.
"In July, El Nino continued as indicated by above-average sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean," the U.S. National Weather Service said on Thursday.
Given recent developments, forecasters are more confident in a "strong" El Nino event, with roughly two in three odds of temperatures rising by about 1.5 degrees Celsius or more in November-January, it added.
The World Meteorological Organization in May warned that the weather pattern could contribute to rising global temperatures. ■
