article_snippet: The world is finally in the grip of a long-awaited El Niño event that could alter global weather patterns - but the phenomenon is far weaker than expected.
article_snippet: However, The US National Oceanic and Atmosopheric Administration say that the El Niño conditions are currently 'extremely weak' and come at a time of the year when the influence of El Niño on weather patterns usually declines.
article_snippet: The arrival of an El Niño is considered to be late after scientists last year predicted scientists were expecting one last year, but the conditions failed to materialise.
article_snippet: an El Niño is one of the most powerful climate altering phenonoma on the planet.
article_snippet: an El Niñoan El Niño, in 2009-2010, was a moderate to strong event.
article_snippet: Other recent El Niño’s  in 2002-2003,  2004-2005 and 2006-2007 have been weak to moderate in strength.
article_snippet: The last very strong El Nino was 1997-1998 and was known for providing heavy rainfall in the west of the United States, especially California.
article_snippet: the NOAA the NOAA said that this mean the Equatorial Southern Oscillation Index, which is uses to monitor the El Niño, has been a negative value for the second month in a row.
article_snippet: In a blog post on the onset of El Niño, the NOAA the NOAA said: 'At this time, these are extremely weak the El Niño conditions, during a time of year when the influence of the El Niño on weather patterns in North America or other locations outside of the Tropics is weakening. '
article_snippet: From an impacts perspective, this is not particularly momentous, as the El Niño impacts are weak in the spring and summer. '
article_snippet: Still, after months of hovering under the threshold, we can now say that the El Niño conditions have arrived.'
highlights_snippet: However El Niño is currently far weaker than in previous events .
  
highlights_snippet: Experts had expected El Niño to start last year but El Niño did not materialise .