WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The World Meteorological Organization has declared the onset of El Nino in the tropical Pacific, setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns.
In an update combining forecasts and expert guidance from around the world, WMO said that there is a 90 percent chance of the warming phenomenon continuing during the second half of 2023, which is expected to be of moderate strength.
'The onset of El Nino will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean,' said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.
The declaration of an El Nino is the signal to governments around the world to mobilize preparations to limit its impacts on human beings' health, ecosystems and economies, according to him.
El Nino usually occurs on average every 2 to 7 years, with each episode lasting 9 to 12 months. It is a naturally occurring climate pattern linked to warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
WMO had warned in May that there is a 98 percent likelihood that at least one of next five years will be the warmest on record.
The effect on global temperatures usually plays out in the year after its development and so will likely be most apparent in 2024, said the UN agency.
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