Australia warns of worse fires, heat as El Nino kicks in

Australia's weather bureau confirmed on Tuesday that an El Nino weather pattern is under way, bringing hot and dry conditions that risk a severe wildfire season and drought. The announcement came as the country bakes in unseasonal heat, with the weather agency warning of more to come.

El Nino is typically associated with warming ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It can bring severe droughts to Australia, Indonesia and other parts of southern Asia, coupled with increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, the Horn of Africa and central Asia.