EQUATORIAL PACIFIC - A developing El Niño has reached a record high on one measure of Pacific Ocean temperatures, according to a September 22 BBC report. Sea surface temperatures in a key region were 3.05°C above average on September 19, just above the previous daily record of 3.02°C set in 2015.
The distinction is in how the event is measured. The BBC reports that longer-term measures have not yet reached record levels. The Met Office also notes that scientists use several ocean and atmospheric indicators to assess El Niño as it develops. Its peak is expected later this year.
El Niño can change the odds of wetter conditions in some regions and drier conditions in others. For produce growers and buyers, those shifts make regional forecasts worth watching, but the temperature record does not establish that any particular crop or growing region will be affected. In its September outlook, NOAA said impacts associated with a strong El Niño become more likely, though they are not guaranteed.
AndNowUKnow will continue to follow regional forecasts and any documented effects on produce growing and movement.
