Strong El Nino unlikely
Maintaining an alert for the event, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said that the odds of a strong El Nino are increasingly unlikely after cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean, Insurance Journal reports. A general lack of atmospheric response over the last month resulted in some cooling, although warming of the ocean over the past several months had primed the conditions for the event, the Bureau said. “While the majority of climate models suggest El Nino remains likely for the spring of 2014, most have eased their predicted strength,” it noted.