Worsening El Nino

THE world’s most devastating global weather phenomenon – the weather events associated with “El Nino” – will double in frequency to once a decade if global warming remains unchecked.

The last extreme El Nino, in 1997-98, resulted in the hottest year on record, and the accompanying floods, cyclones, droughts and wild fires killed an estimated 23,000 people and caused huge sums in damage, particularly to food production. But, until now, scientists have been unable to agree how climate change will affect the frequency of extreme El Ninos.