Australia sees chance of El Nino at 70 per cent

PUNE: There’s a 70% chance of the El Nino weather phenomenon developing by August, according to the Australian weather office, a prospect that threatens to undermine the southwest monsoon that’s critical to India’s farms, apart from causing disruptions elsewhere in the world.

"The tropical Pacific Ocean remains on track for El Niño in 2014, with just over half of the climate models surveyed by the Bureau suggesting El Niño will become established by August,” the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said in a release. “An El Niño alert remains in place, indicating at least a 70% chance of an El Niño developing in 2014."

The weather phenomenon related to warming in the south Pacific is associated with

floods or droughts in different parts of the world, leading to economic damage.

The Australian weather office suggested there has already been some local impact ahead of El Nino forming.