The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Earth Observatory has posted two comparison images of global sea surface patterns taken in May 1997 and earlier this month. The similar conditions depicted in the side-by-side comparison points to the possibility that we might be heading for a repeat of 1997’s El Nino phenomenon, which resulted in prolonged dry spells and water shortages, flash floods, and disrupted crops all over Malaysia.
During an El Nino phenomenon, sea surfaces in the central and East Pacific Ocean warm up, causing heacy storms, floods, and severe weather patterns, as was the case in 1997.
io9.com reports that although the conditions this year are looking quite similar to those that set up 1997’s El Nino, scientists are still not ready to say conclusively that there will be a repeat of the El Nino phenomenon from 17 years ago. However, they are giving it a 65% probability that El Nino will strike sometime in the middle of this year.
See Also:
A 6-month dry season if El Nino hits Malaysia
