Japan weather bureau sees 80 percent chance of El Nino continuing into summer

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's weather bureau on Wednesday said the El Nino weather pattern appeared to be continuing, with an 80 percent chance it would stretch into the northern hemisphere summer.

El Nino is a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that typically happens every few years, sometimes causing crop damage, flash flooding or fires.

(Writing by Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Chris Gallagher)