The US Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) believes the Asia Pacific region is in the midst of an El Niño weather pattern that will affect the weather until at least March next year.

The CPC, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, says typical El Niño effects are likely to gather during the northern winter.

North America can expect warmer than average temperatures as well as higher than average rainfall over the Gulf Coast and Florida, and lower than average rainfall in Ohio and the Pacific Northwest.

The CPC’s monthly diagnostic report also predicts unusually dry conditions in Indonesia, Malaysia and over the north of South America. Central America and equatorial regions of Africa will be wetter than usual.

El Niño is formed by a warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean. This causes huge swings in weather around the world and has been blamed for severe droughts in some areas and extensive floods in others.