02.09.2015 - El Niño Sends Strong Signal as Pacific Temperatures Soar
A strong El Niño has sent sea temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean to their highest level since the late 1990s, Australia’s government weather watchdog said Tuesday. The water in some areas is now within 0.9 degree Fahrenheit (0.5 degree Celsius) of the level seen during the El Niño of 1997-8, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said, with temperatures expected to peak later this year. El Niños occur when winds in the equatorial Pacific slow or reverse direction, causing the water to warm over a vast area, which in turn can upend weather patterns around the world. The El Niño of the late ’90s brought severe drought to parts of Southeast Asia and heavy flooding to North America. This year’s hasn’t yet had such dramatic effects, and experts say the likely impact is still hard to predict...............................................Full Article: Source
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