20151223 BBC_What is El Nino and how is the strongest El Nino since 1950 on the way affecting countries around the world?

How is El Nino affecting countries around the world?

Powerful hurricanes in Mexico, drought in Ethiopia, flash-floods and mudslides in southern California - all have been attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Occurring every few years, the current El Nino is one of the strongest recorded and could contribute to making 2015 the hottest year on record.

But what is El Nino?

What is El Nino?

An El Nino climate event is under way that could potentially become one of the strongest events since 1950.

That's according to a new Met Office report which says that 2015 has already seen the warmest start to any year on record.

It also outlines that El Nino is one of three key climate patterns that could lead to changes in our global temperature.

The event occurs when the waters of the Pacific become exceptionally warm and distort weather patterns around the world.