El Niño's effect on the US is 'just beginning' forecasters warn as they reveal its impact on weather systems around the world.

Forecasters have revealed the catastrophic effects this year's record breaking El Niño has had on weather around the world.

They say that even though they expect the sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific to decrease gradually over the next several months, 'there is still a lot going on'.

For America, they warn the effect is 'just beginning'. 

'El Niño put up some pretty impressive numbers in December, and we're favouring a transition to neutral conditions by the late spring or early summer.' Emily Becker of the NOAA 

The Niño3.4 index, which compares ocean surface temperatures in the east-central Pacific to the long-term average, broke the record in December, coming in at 2.38°C above average, surpassing December 1997's 2.24°C.  

'The main season for El Niño impacts in the U.S. (January–March) is just beginning in the U.S., but it's winding down in other areas of the world,' Becker said.

Australia's typical El Niño impact is dry conditions over most of the continent from about July through December, but through this period there hasn't been a very clear deficit except in portions of eastern Australia. 

It's possible that a record warm Indian Ocean had a strong effect on the climate in Australia this year, a reminder that the climate system has a lot of moving parts, and impacts from El Niño are expected, but not guaranteed.

That said, in other areas of the world, El Niño impacts were clearer. Much more rain than normal fell in eastern Africa, as their 'short rains' rainy season (October–December) was enhanced by El Niño, while southern Africa has had continued dry conditions. Uruguay, southern Brazil, and Paraguay also experienced a lot of rain, and northern South America has been dry, as often happens in September–December during El Niño.

Forecasters expect the sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific to decrease gradually over the next several months, and we're favouring a transition to neutral conditions by the late spring or early summer.

Meteorologists say the current El Nino has stormed its way into the record books, tying 1997-1998 as the strongest recorded.

Mike Halpert, deputy director of the federal Climate Prediction Center, said initial figures for October-November-December match the same time period in 1997 for the strongest El Nino.