El Nino set to be strong, UN warns

El Nino is expected to rapidly strengthen into a strong event between July and September, increasing the risk of droughts, heavy rainfall, heatwaves and marine heatwaves across many parts of the world, the UN's weather agency warned on Friday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said El Nino has already developed in the tropical Pacific and is forecast to intensify over the coming months. Forecasts from leading global climate centres show sea-surface temperatures in key Pacific regions are likely to exceed 2 degrees Celsius above average, indicating a strong El Nino event.

"El Nino conditions are already under way and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, warning of heightened risks to agriculture, public health and livelihoods.

The WMO said it is stepping up early warning support to help countries prepare for climate-related hazards.

The agency forecasts above-average temperatures across most populated regions of the world between July and September. Rainfall is expected to be above normal in parts of the southwestern United States but below normal across the Indian subcontinent and much of Australia.

El Nino, a naturally occurring climate pattern that warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, typically occurs every two to seven years and disrupts global weather patterns.

The WMO said there is no evidence that climate change increases the frequency or intensity of El Nino events, but a warmer atmosphere and oceans can amplify their impacts by fuelling more intense heatwaves and heavy rainfall.