80 pct chance of El Niño in winter: U.S. forecaster

The expectation of the weather pattern occurring during the spring next year stood at 55-60 per cent.

Chances of El Niño to form and continue through the northern hemisphere winter 2018/19 were at 80 per cent, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday.

The expectation of the weather pattern occurring during the spring next year stood at 55-60 per cent, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said in its monthly forecast.