As El Niño continued to strengthen in the Pacific Ocean, climatologists on Thursday suggested in the wake of a newly released report that it has the potential to become the most powerful ever recorded and could bring “extreme rainfall” to drought-stricken California.

All computer models were predicting a strong El Niño to peak in late fall or early winter, according to the report, which was released by the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.

It has a more than 90 percent chance of continuing through the Northern Hemisphere in winter, and a roughly 85 percent chance of lasting until early spring.

The August report stated that “forecaster consensus unanimously favors a strong El Niño,” with peak 3-month-average sea surface temperatures that could exceed 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the Niño 3.ñ4 region.

Read the article “‘Godzilla El Niño’ May be Coming to California, Latest Forecast Suggests; Could Bring ‘Extreme Rainfall’” on ktla.com.