The current El Nino weather hitting Australia and the South Pacific, described as "Godzilla" is near its peak intensity though there are signs of easing, Australian weather authorities said.
Sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean remain at near record levels indicated the 2015 event is likely to be one of the three strongest events over the past 50 years, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said on Tuesday.
"Presently, several key indicators fall short of their 1997-98 and 1982-83 values, both in the ocean (e.g. sub-surface temperatures, which have peaked around +8 degrees Celsius this year, compared to +12 degrees Celsius in 1997-98), and the atmosphere," the bureau said in a statement.
Despite high sea surface temperatures, some El Nino indicators such as the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) are showing signs of easing, however the weather system is likely to persist well into 2016.
