China's National Climate Center has reported that the present El Nino in the Pacific Ocean has gotten stronger and is expected to last until this winter.

Statistics have shown that El Nino has lasted for 16 months since last May, as surface temperatures on the Pacific Ocean have been substantially above average.

Sun Leng, a senior engineer with the NCC, explains further.

"At present, the accumulated sea surface temperature anomalies index has reached 14.4 degrees Celsius, which means El Nino has gotten stronger."

Sun predicts that El Nino will continue to strengthen and may last until this winter or even next spring.

El Nino has brought excess rainfall to China's southern and eastern regions in the summer months, while the northern region experienced severe drought.

In the meantime, measures have been instituted in the Philippines to mitigate El Nino's effect.

The public are urged to reduce water and electricity consumption as those two commodities may be the first to be affected by the weather phenomenon.