Marine heatwave over Pacific Ocean could lead to flooding in north-west

Severe ‘blob’ or marine heatwave can lead to increased inundation and wintery weather in eastern North America

A marine heatwave known as a blob was especially severe this year in the north-western and central Pacific Ocean, which could lead in the coming months to increased flooding in the US Pacific north-west and especially wintery weather in eastern North America, according to climate scientists.

The temperature in August in the northern Pacific was 2.5C above preindustrial levels, according to Berkeley Earth, a non-profit that studies global warming.