'2015 El Niño is the strongest since 1997-98'

Says El Nino weather pattern has strengthened over the last two weeks

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the recently emerged El Niño is now the strongest such event in nearly 20 years. Tropical Pacific Ocean temperature anomalies are at the highest levels since the El Niño that occurred between 1997 and 1998, the Australian climate bureau said on Tuesday. The Australian weather bureau said a positive Indian Ocean Dipole remains possible in addition to the El Niño.

A positive Indian Ocean Dipole indicates warmer sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean relative to the east. While an El Niño will typically bring dry conditions to Australia's east coast, when associated with a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, drought-like conditions are seen across more of Australia, often with greater intensity, data from the Australian Weather Bureau shows.

The last El Nino and positive Indian Ocean Dipole was recorded in 2006.