A potentially powerful El Nino is developing in the Pacific Ocean and could reshape weather patterns around the world in the coming weeks.
Forecasters warn this could be among the strongest on record, with 'real potential for the strongest El Nino event in 140 years,' according to Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the State University of New York at Albany.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects El Nino conditions to emerge soon and continue at least into winter.
Depending on its strength and duration, the climate phenomenon could trigger drought, flooding, heat waves and disruptions to food and water supplies in multiple regions.
'The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is,' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern that occurs every two to seven years, beginning when trade winds over the tropical Pacific weaken, allowing warm water to accumulate in the Pacific Ocean.
Its effects can be felt around the world, with reactions varying dramatically from region to region.
In some places, that means an increased risk of drought; in others, flooding.
Parts of Central America, Asia, Africa and Australia often become hotter and drier during El Nino years.
The resulting water shortages can affect agriculture, hydropower generation and drinking water supplies.
In other parts of the world, the risks are reversed, with El Nino bringing torrential rainfall and destructive flooding.
The consequences can persist long after the rain stops or reservoirs run dry.
El Nino has been associated with crop failures and economic losses potentially running into the trillions.
During the 2015-2016 El Nino, poor harvests left millions of people around the world in need of food assistance.
Wildfires are also a growing concern, with scientists warning that El Nino is likely to increase the risk of severe heat and drought conditions that fuel fires across Australia, Canada, the United States and the Amazon rainforest.
