Earth Sciences New Zealand have officially declared an El Niño event and are expecting it to intensify into one of the strongest on record.

The previous top five strongest El Niño events were in 1972, 1982, 1991, 1997 and 2015. According to Earth Sciences chief scientist Chris Brandolino, “At the very least we’re expecting this event to rival the intensity of these historical top five events, but it has considerable potential to exceed them all.”

Speaking to RNZ, Brandolino “urged people who might be affected by dry conditions – such as farmers and horticulturists, and those reliant on tank water – to think back to previous El Niño conditions or droughts, and start making a plan now.”

Filmed and edited by Isaiah Tour.
Written and presented by Robbie Nicol.
Made with the support of NZ On Air.