Australia's weather bureau sees 70 percent chance of El Nino in 2018

FILE PHOTO: Dams containing small amounts of water can be seen in drought-affected farming area located west of Melbourne, Australia, in this picture taken on January 12, 2016. REUTERS/David Gray

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A recent warming of the Pacific Ocean has led to a 70 percent chance of an El Nino weather event developing this year, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday.

An El Nino weather event can trigger both floods and drought in different parts of the world, and is associated with warmer, dry weather across the Asia Pacific.