El Niño is officially here - and it could bring record hot temperatures, floods, droughts and wildfires and a spike in diseases spread by mosquitoes. The climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean is declared when water temperatures near the equator are at least 0.9 of a degree F (0.5 of a degree C) above the historical average for a three-month period.
The extended period of warmth can shape overall weather conditions around the world into 2024. It could also contribute to extreme weather events.
El Niño occurs every three to seven years and was last observed from late 2018 through to the first half of 2019. It gave the world its hottest year on record in 2016, the Mirror reports.
