A ‘super’ El Niño sets an ocean temperature record as aid groups prepare for the worst

“Godzilla.” “Super.” “Very strong.”

There’s no shortage of superlatives to describe the El Niño pattern brewing in the tropical Pacific Ocean, with grave consequences expected in many corners of the world.

So far, data continues to back up the hype.

Sea surface temperatures have spiked to record levels in the tropical Pacific this fall, a sign that the pattern continues to strengthen. In the region where the El Niño trend is typically measured, temperatures are 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal.

In its latest update, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency said the pattern was strengthening and that there was a 90% chance of a “very strong event” this fall and winter, with a 75% chance of becoming a historic event larger than any El Niño since 1950.

The index data NOAA uses to characterize El Niño suggests this season’s event is the second-biggest anomaly on record for the months of July through September, even when the influence of global warming on temperatures is not factored into the equation.

“It feels like super El Niño is appropriate,” said Abby Frazier, a climatologist and professor of geography at Clark University.

The children’s aid organization UNICEF said Tuesday its analysis suggests hundreds…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business