El Nino may hit Chinese farmers' yields

China's agricultural yields could be hit by El Nino, a weather pattern that can bring drought in some parts while causing flooding in others, the agricultural ministry warned yesterday.

El Nino of medium to strong magnitude could be experienced, which could trigger low temperatures and rainfall in south China and drought in the north in autumn, and bring earlier frosts to the country's northeast, the ministry cited the China Meteorological Administration as saying.

El Nino, Spanish for "the boy," is a warming of the sea surface in the Pacific that occurs every four to 12 years.

The weather pattern would negatively affect the yields of rice in south China and grain in the north, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, extreme hot weather will probably not strike Shanghai this summer despite the El Nino prediction, according to Shen Yu, an expert with the Shanghai Climate Center.

Extreme weather occurring under the influence of an El Nino usually happens the second year of the event, and there are also uncertainties in the forecast of an El Nino, he said.