Developing El Niño becomes strongest on record weeks before expected peak

Image source, Anadolou/Getty ImagesImage caption, Wildfires fuelled by El Niño are affecting around 12.5 million people across Indonesia, according to the country's health ministry.ByBen Rich, Lead Weather Presenter and Simon King , Lead Weather PresenterThe developing El Niño climate phenomenon is now the strongest on record, according to scientists monitoring Pacific Ocean temperatures.Daily sea surface temperatures in a key region of the central-eastern Pacific were 3.05C above average on 19 September - exceeding the previous record of 3.02C set during the very strong El Niño of 2015.Some longer-term measures of El Niño have not yet hit record levels but this is likely to change, with the peak not expected until later this year.El Niño can cause major shifts in weather patterns around the world, with the Met Office saying many of the expected impacts are already being felt.What is El Niño and how is it measured?El Niño is a naturally-occurring pattern, which happens about every two to seven years and tends to last for around a year.Trade winds that typically blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean can weaken or even reverse, allowing warm water to spread eastwards.Heat i...