NOAA declares El Niño; models project historic strength (opens in new tab)

NOAA said June 11 that El Niño conditions had developed in the tropical Pacific after sea surface temperatures rose above average across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and winds above the equator began shifting in response to the warmer ocean. NOAA said there is a 63% chance the event will become intense enough by late fall and early winter to rank among the largest El Niño events in records dating to 1950. Forecasters said the warming cycle could rival or exceed the 1997 El Niño,...