El Niño is officially here, and this one could be a doozy

Prepare for heat, drought and flooding — it’s officially El Niño season, according to the National Weather Service. This one could be on par with some of the strongest.

Prepare for intense heat, drought and some flooding — it’s officially El Niño season, the National Weather Service announced Thursday.

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This El Niño event could be on par with some of the strongest documented in the past, according to models from the NWS.

“There is a 63% chance that we’re looking at a very strong El Niño during the November to January time period that could rank amongst the largest El Niño events in the historical record,” Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist for the NWS in Los Angeles, said at a news conference held by the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. “We’re already seeing those warm temperatures lining up.”