Fears of flooding across UK as El Niño raises risk of wetter autumn
It follows a summer of drought in the UK, with almost three-quarters of England remaining in drought despite recent downpours
The UK is set to experience a greater risk of flooding and a wetter autumn than average according to the Met Office.
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Forecasters are predicting that a warm and wet autumn is one-and-a-half to two times more likely than normal, with an increased chance of windy weather later in the season.
The El Niño conditions are largely to blame for the shift, according to the Met Office.
The weather phenomenon takes place when sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific rise above average, impacting global rainfall patterns and average temperatures.
Read more: Brits warned they may have to stock up on food supplies amid 'supersized' El Niño warning
There are fears this year's event will develop to become "supersized", with the potential to be the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, with the current phenomenon already at near-record levels.
It follows a summer of drought in the UK, with the Environment Agency saying that almost three-quarters of England remains in drought despite recent downpours, with a number of reservoirs at very low levels.
Met Office Chief meteorologist Ian Lisk stressed that although the seasonal forecast is likely to bring wetter than average conditions, this does not guarantee Britain will experience severe weather.
"El Nino is only one of several factors affecting the UK's weather, and it does not determine exactly what conditions we will experience," he said.
"While this event may become one of the strongest El Nino events on record, that does not automatically mean more severe impacts for the UK.
He added that they will continue to monitor conditions for more accurate readings.