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BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhua) -- El Nino will continue to strengthen this year but will not escalate into a super El Nino as the warming of the sea's surface in the Pacific Ocean will decay, a weather expert said Tuesday.
The temperature of the sea's surface in the Pacific Ocean will not be warm enough to develop into a super El Nino, which needs 4 degree Celsius- rise in tropical Pacific and 2 degree-rise in the ocean along the equator, said Ding Yihui, a senior expert of China Meteorological Administration.
He said El Nino is likely to reach a strong magnitude this year and last for 20 months, a historically rare phenomenon.
A Super El Nino has only occurred three times in recent history, 1972, 1982 and 1997-1998, Ding said.
Since this year, El Nino has brought excess rainfall to China's southern and eastern areas in the summer months, while the northern region experienced severe drought.
