According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are expected to intensify over the coming months.

The WMO said the phenomenon is likely to increase the risk of heatwaves, droughts, heavy rainfall and other extreme weather events across many regions of the world.

Speaking on the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) programme, ‘Get the Facts’, Principal Director of the Meteorological Services Branch in the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Evan Thompson, explained that El Niño is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that develops in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.