SAN DIEGO — Scientists say new images of a band of warm water in the Pacific Ocean provide strong evidence that an El Nino current is forming that could bring heavy rain to California this winter.

“If you take a look at the ocean temps that are being projected by the American weather models right… and what’s going on right now, the ocean is going to be very warm and very indicative of an El Nino event,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Roger Pierce.

In 1997, an El Nino event brought the warmest waters and most rainfall to California in 104 years. Today the water temperatures are very similar to the pattern identified in 1997, Pierce said.

“Certainly the water temperatures are looking intense like that. Now how the atmosphere responds to those water temperatures is the real big thing,” said Pierce.

The warm current has already affected the weather in San Diego, Pierce said. Tropical Storm Delores was expected to fizzle out before it hit San Diego over the weekend, but because of the extremely warm waters, “it held it’s strength as it came up the coast,” Pierce said.