Expert Comment- El Nino

Dr Grant Allen looks at predictions that a substantial El Nino event could occur this year, made by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and assess the possible impact on the UK and rest of the world. Dr Allen, senior research fellow in the School of Earth, Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences at The University of Manchester said: "They have been measuring the sea surface temperatures in the Pacific for the past few months and they have noticed some changes. Just to be clear though this is a projection of what they think will happen, it is not yet definite. Currently there is not a strong El Nino but what they are saying is that by September they are expecting it to be. "If that is the case then are several patterns we can expect. The US and Australia could suffer severe draughts. It will be much wetter than usual in South America in the past it has caused quite severe flooding.