Weather-roiling El Nino hits record strength, Japan weather agency says

What happened: Japan's weather agency says the El Nino warming the equatorial Pacific has reached record strength, with a 100% chance it persists through Northern Hemisphere winter. Key numbers: Sea surface temperatures in the monitored Pacific patch were 4 C above normal as of September, the highest since records began in 1949. Why it matters: The forecaster warns of widespread economic disruptions that may linger after the pattern fades. El Nino has already brought the weakest Indian monsoon in over a decade, Indonesian wildfires, and threats to Brazil sugar and coffee output.

Japan's weather agency says the El Nino warming the equatorial Pacific has reached record strength, with a 100% chance it persists through Northern Hemisphere winter.

The forecaster warns of widespread economic disruptions that may linger after the pattern fades. El Nino has already brought the weakest Indian monsoon in over a decade, Indonesian wildfires, and threats to Brazil sugar and coffee output.