South Africa is experiencing its worst drought in two decades, and the new El Niño, which began in March and will probably peak at the end of the year, could make it a whole lot worse.

An El Niño is when trade winds across the Pacific Ocean digress from their usual patterns, causing ocean temperatures to rise and affecting weather patterns.

Meteorologists say the El Niño could be the biggest since the notorious 1998 one.

Mark Tadross of the Climate Systems Analysis Group at the University of Cape Town said: "During an El Niño, we are more likely to have lower than normal rainfall over southeast Southern Africa, including northern parts of South Africa.

Professor Coleen Vogel, a drought expert at the University of the Witwatersrand, said adapting to these conditions involved trying to reduce water loss. Farmers should harvest rain water and mulch plants to save water.

Source - http://www.timeslive.co.za/