El Niño has been forecast to return in 2014 and it could be a big one

WEATHER around the globe is poised to unleash havoc as meteorologists have warned an El Niño is set to return this year. And it’s going to be a big one.

The phenomenon known as El Niño, which is a temporary change in the climate of the Pacific Ocean, is rearing its head again bringing with it the threat of climatic chaos such as floods, drought and severe storms.

Experts have seen a band of warm water in the Pacific and New Scientist has reported this wild weather will return towards the end of the year with “the tropical climate system primed for a big El Niño,” Axel Timmermann of the University of Hawaii is quoted.

Other forecasters, such as Wenju Cai of CSIRO, claims “the more heat in the Pacific, the bigger the El Niño and right now, 150 metres below the surface, a ball of warm water is crossing that ocean and it’s huge.”

This devastating weather anomaly occurs at irregular intervals of two to seven years and can last from nine to two years. In Australia, this will be the first El Niño we’ve seen in over four years. However, that was classed as tame compared to the big one that hit in 1997-1998, which resulted in such extreme weather around the world it took 20,000 lives and caused almost 100 billion dollars of damage to crops and infrastructure.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said the probability of this weather event happening again stands at 70 per cent and could loom as early as July.

With the shift in climate patterns it causes in Australia we can expect to experience hotter and drier weather that could lead to droughts and the threat of bush fires.

Elsewhere in the world, such as in America, they will see a large amounts of rain and storms that could lead to widespread flooding as the warm water carries rain from Asia and Australia and displaces it over southern and eastern America.

Europe won’t escape an El Niño either as its effects are most felt in their winters which become colder and drier.

Meteorologists continue to keep an eye on the development in the Pacific Ocean and as yet there has not been an official El Niño warning perhaps because it’s too early to tell how severe it will be or to prevent the kneejerk hike in food prices.

While a big El Niño may strike panic for many at least we know its wrath, and with this knowledge hopefully it can be used by farmers, emergency services and those at risk to prepare for what may loom.