El Nino impact on China likely 'to be moderate'

China's weather bureau said it expects El Nino to cause heavy rainfall in the south and create droughtlike conditions in the north this year, but the intensity is likely to be moderate.

"The event will last until autumn, and be medium to strong, but it will not be as strong as during 1997-98, which was the strongest in history," the China Meteorological Administration said in a report on Friday.

El Nino, a warming of sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific basin, can disrupt weather across the world.