NATION : Signs Point to El Nino in Making
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WASHINGTON — Changing water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean may be signaling the start of a new El Nino, a climate event that could be felt worldwide, government scientists said today.
“The current situation deserves very close attention,” the federal Climate Analysis Center said in a statement.
The latest El Nino in 1986 was relatively mild, but one in 1982-83 led to weather changes that were blamed for 1,500 deaths and billions of dollars in damage across the globe.
“We don’t want to say something is developing that could be like that, because that was exceptional,” Vernon Kousky of the climate center said.
The 1982-83 El Nino was blamed for worsening the devastating drought in Africa and causing a series of severe winter storms to come ashore in California.
Kousky’s office constantly monitors sea surface conditions, and has learned the warning signs that an El Nino may be developing.
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