In 1982-83, "El Niño," a warming of waters in the eastern Pacific that researchers believe leads to changing global weather patterns, is believed to have been responsible for 2,000 deaths and $13 billion in damage.
Some scientists caution that the El Niño now developing could be even more severe in its effects on world weather in coming months.
The El Niño weather pattern typically recurs every three to five years, bringing extremes of storms and flooding in some areas and drought in others. Scientists blame this year's developing El Niño weather pattern for recent dry weather in Australia, where poor germination and early growth for winter grains portend a low winter wheat harvest. El Niño is also expected to bring drought conditions to Indonesia, Thailand, India, Pakistan and much of the African continent.
At the same time, El Niño is expected to bring wetter weather and flooding to Peru, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Excessive rains in Argentina have already caused flooding and planting delays. (Source: U.S. Wheat Associates newsletter.) GN
