El Niño/La Niña Update (November 2015)

A strong and mature El Niño continues in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The majority of international climate outlook models indicate that the 2015-16 El Niño will strengthen slightly before the end of the year. Models and expert opinion suggest that peak 3-month average surface water temperatures in the east-central tropical Pacific Ocean will exceed 2 degrees Celsius above average, placing this El Niño event among the three strongest previous events since 1950 (1972-73, 1982-83, 1997-98).