DHAKA: The US space agency NASA has warned that the effects of the current El Nino weather phenomenon could be as bad as those of 1998, the strongest on record.

El Nino in that year played havoc with world weather systems and was blamed for several extreme weather events, reports the BBC.

The current El Nino has been linked to several floods and unusually warm conditions in the Northern hemisphere.

The phenomenon sees warm waters of the central Pacific expand eastwards towards North and South America.

The phenomenon, which happens every two to seven years, usually peaks late in the calendar year, although the effects can persist well into the following spring and last up to 12 months.

BDST: 1642 HRS, DEC 30, 2015
SR