'Unprecedented' El Nino to be strongest ever with storms to batter UK as world weather reshaped

'Unprecedented' El Nino to be strongest ever with storms to batter UK as world weather reshaped After a summer of heatwaves and drought across the UK Brits could be battered by storms and rain due to an 'unprecedented' El Nino event - as the notorious weather event plays a major part in reshaping our planet The UK is set to be hammered by storms and rain in the next few months due to an "unprecedented" El Nino event, the Met Office warned. Forecasters have predicted that the extreme heat and droughts across the nation this summer could be replaced by a wet and stormy autumn. The climate phenomenon is also due to impact weather across the globe and increases the risk of droughts in other parts of the plant. El Nino is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise are 0.5C or more above average. This weather pattern, which happens around every 2-7 years, impacts global rainfall patterns and average temperatures. Wind that usually blows across the east to the west of the Pacific Ocean can weaken or stop, which allows warm water to move east. This heat can then be released from the ocean and into the atmosphere, leading a temperature rise of 0.5C or more. The warming of sea temperatures is forecast to reach more than 3C in the coming months, making this year's El Nino "the largest since the 19th century", according to the Met Office. Professor Adam Scaife, head of long range forecasting at the weather agency, said: "We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event. I have never seen an El Nino signal this intense in our forecasts." This climate phenomenon increases the risk of drought in the tropics, southern Africa and north-east Australia, while north-western Europe – including the UK – is likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions in the coming autumn and early winter, the forecaster said. Professor Scaife added: "A typical El Nino leads to an equatorial Pacific sea-surface temperature rise of between one to 2C, with 2C being a really big event. This implies that if the forecast is accurate – and other forecast systems show similar extreme values – then 2026 will far exceed our recent experience of El Nino and its worldwide climate influences." El Nino events also push an increase in global average temperature, with 2027 forecast to be the warmest year on record. Met Office Science Fellow, Dr Nick Dunstone said: "“During large El Nino events significantly more heat is released from the ocean to the atmosphere leading to an increase in global average temperature, particularly in the calendar year following the winter peak of the El Nino. "Hence, 2027 is very likely to replace 2024 as the warmest year on record and be another year to temporarily exceed plus 1.5C above the pre-industrial period." Professor Stephen Belcher, the Met Office's chief of science and technology, said: "This summer we have experienced heat waves across Europe reminding us of the effects of climate change, this large El Nino is a reminder that natural variations in the climate system are also at play, adding to the stresses of climate change." Prime Minister Andy Burnham, after an emergency meeting on the heatwave last week, warned: "We might be in for a wet autumn and winter straight after this, because of El Nino and some of the issues there, which was reported to Cobra." After weeks of drought and little to no rainfall over the UK, parts of the country were hit by heavier showers on Wednesday and Thursday. The the north-west of England saw the wettest conditions in the last 24 hours, with 52.5mm of rain falling over the seaside town of Morecambe in Lancashire, according to the Environment Agency (EA). The sudden heavy rainfall this week also sparked fears of flash flooding as the water has been hitting parched, dry, hard ground. But forecasters and officials warned it could take months of sustained rainfall before rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters are completely replenished – which is when a drought is officially over. The National Drought Group said this week's rainfall and cooler temperatures will not make any significant impact on current water scarcity. It also warned drought conditions could persist into the new year as, despite El Nino, current forecasts do not suggest this autumn will have the amount of rainfall required to drive recovery before December.