Met Office issues 'beast' El Nino forecast as UK faces double weather threat

Met Office issues 'beast' El Nino forecast as UK faces double weather threat El Nino could bring storms and more rainfall than usual to the UK this year, with Met Office forecasters saying its impacts will be bolstered by another weather phenomenon The strongest El Nino on record is expected over the coming months, but it won’t be the only weather phenomenon impacting the UK. Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern described this year’s El Nino as a “beast” and explained we are facing “uncharted territory” - as not only is it expected to be the strongest on record, but it will also be bolstered by global warming. El Nino will peak towards the end of this year and have varying impacts in different places - bringing increased rainfall to some areas and drier spells to others. Mr McGivern said: "Very wet conditions [are expected] through the Pacific as well as southern California. Other southern states in the US, into Mexico, coastal parts of South America [all face] above average rainfall and more storms." For the UK, “well above average rainfall, especially to the south-west of the UK” is on the cards. Mr McGivern clarified that El Nino is not the only thing that can impact our weather, so these outcomes are not guaranteed. “And we’ve got global warming to think about, the fact that sea surface temperatures are significantly warmer than average in many places,” he said. “That combined with El Nino could fuel more rain when storms happen. So if we get more storminess in the UK… those storms will contain more moisture as they’re passing over warmer seas.” El Nino occurs every few years when temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5C above the long-term average. It generally causes an increase in global temperatures in the summer, while autumn and winter tend to be wetter and stormier. Last week the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said El Nino is now “firmly established”, with the latest forecasts indicating a near-100% likelihood El Nino will persist through to February. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle has urged UK households to stock up on food ahead of "more extreme storms" which El Nino is likely to bring towards the end of this year.