How the last Super El Niño hit London and what it could mean for this winter's weather, tell me about this news in (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/super-el-nino-london-winter-weather-storm-katie-met-office-b1299046.html)

According to the article from the Evening Standard, forecasters and the Met Office warned that the developing “super” El Niño in the tropical Pacific had already surpassed the intensity of the major 2015/16 event, raising concerns about severe impacts for London and the wider UK during the winter months.

How the 2015/16 Super El Niño Affected London

During the previous major event in the winter of 2015/16, the UK experienced significant severe weather:

• Storm Desmond (December 2015): While Northern England, Scotland, and Wales were hit hardest by catastrophic flooding, London felt severe winds. A 90-year-old man died near Finchley Central station after a wind gust forced him into the side of a moving bus, and high winds caused the 60-foot Trafalgar Square Christmas tree to lean noticeably, requiring safety inspections.

• Storm Katie (Easter 2016): This was the storm linked to the El Niño cycle that caused the most direct damage to London. Inland wind gusts reached up to 85 mph, causing the London Fire Brigade to respond to over 100 emergencies. Incidents included damaged roofs, a bent construction crane in Greenwich, widespread travel disruption, power cuts across South and Southeast London, and debris blown across streets.

What It Means for Winter Weather

Met Office forecasters highlighted the teleconnections between strong El Niño events and typical UK winter patterns:

• Stormier, Wetter Start: El Niño typically brings an increased risk of wetter, windier, and more storm-prone conditions across the UK throughout autumn and the early part of winter.

• Colder Snaps in Late Winter: As winter progresses into the latter half, the pattern shifts toward an increased likelihood of colder spells and freezing snaps, potentially influenced by polar vortex disruptions.

• Record Magnitude: Meteorologists noted that because the developing system was measuring stronger than the 2015/16 benchmark even before reaching its expected peak, the potential for disruptive weather extremes was heightened.