World Meteorological Organization Announces Onset Of Dangerous El Niño Conditions

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday that conditions for the El Niño weather phenomenon have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years, likely leading to a rise in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns.

"The onset of El Niño will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean," the organization's secretary-general, Petteri Taalas, was quoted as saying in a WMO statement.

He said the WMO's declaration of El Niño is a signal to governments around the world to prepare to mitigate the phenomenon's impact on health, ecosystems and economies.

"Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods," Taalas added.

The statement read that the coming El Niño is expected to be at least of moderate strength and there is a 98% probability that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record.