Experts Warn of Impending and Significant El Niño Event with Potential Extreme Weather Effects.

An El Niño is building along the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and there’s above-normal chances it will be a strong El Niño, which could have dramatic impacts in the United States and around the globe later this year and into next year. Climate scientists are especially concerned about the potential for hotter temperatures, as a strong El Niño could send global average temperatures soaring to a record high. El Niño is a natural climate pattern where surface sea water temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than average.