U.S. forecaster sees increasing chances of El Niño later in 2017

Waters are warming in the Pacific and the chances of an El Niño developing as early as this spring are increasing, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday.

La Niña conditions have disappeared and neutral conditions were present in February
The neutral situation is mostly likely to continue through at least the spring, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center said in a monthly forecast.

However, it sees increasing chances of El Niño developing later this year and cited some possibility that it could arrive as soon as this spring.

The last El Niño, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that typically occurs every few years, was strong but it had ended by May 2016 to be replaced by a weak La Nina.


The El Niño contributed a drought in Indonesia and Malaysia that reduced palm oil production.