The NWS's Climate Prediction Center estimates there is a 69% chance the current El Niño will exceed the strength of all recorded El Niño events dating back to 1950, raising concerns about increased storm activity, flooding, and coastal impacts.
El Niño conditions continue to intensify and are likely to be a strong event in the coming months, significantly influencing our weather, the hurricane season and global temperatures, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Most of America's Lower 48 states are about to swelter under an unusually large, strong and long-lasting heat dome.
El Niño is officially on the rise. Ocean temperatures along the equatorial Pacific are running 1.2°C above average, and forecasters say warming is expected to continue into winter.
A very strong El Nino has formed. According to ABC7 Meteorologist Drew Tuma, when El Nino conditions prevail, the storm track across the United States usually hovers over southern California in the winter. This tends to lead to higher-than-average rainfall across California during the winter months.