El Nino: what is it and how will the global weather phenomenon affect the UK?

Scientists have reported a concerning rise in the global sea temperature which is set to reach a record high. Experts believe this is due to a strong El Nino weather event on the way, which the Met Office has said could be ‘large’.

The weather event could lead to some parts of the world having an increased risk of drought, as it is closely related to global temperatures throughout the summer. The event follows on from La Niña which keeps temperatures cooler.

Experts believe that the El Nino event combined with other weather events could mean that the world’s temperature could reach a concerning new level by the end of next year. The weather event could have a severe impact as warmer oceans can kill off marine life and lead to more extreme weather events, as well as causing sea levels to rise.

The weather events occur naturally every few years but the Met Office has said the last three winters have seen a run of three consecutive La Niña events.

In a new report they said: “This run of events, though unusual, has earlier precedents in the historical climate record, for example in 1999, 2000 and 2001 but this has now come to an end. Instead, our latest long-range forecasts suggest that the tropical Pacific is about to transition into El Niño – the warm phase of El Niño–Southern Oscillation.”