Japan weather bureau says 60% chance of no El Nino, La Nina through spring

There is a 60% chance of no El Nino or La Nina occurring from now through the northern hemisphere spring, Japan's weather bureau said on Tuesday.

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

A La Nina weather event is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean region and is also linked with floods and drought.

(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)