El Niño has been blamed for droughts across Africa and for contributing to outbreaks of yellow fever and Zika

GENEVA, May 13 (Reuters) - The current El Niño weather pattern, a phenomenon associated with extreme droughts, storms and floods, is weakening rapidly and odds are increasing of its cooling counterpart, La Niña, developing this year, the U.N. weather agency said on Friday.

The effects of this year's El Niño, which has been blamed for droughts across Africa and for contributing to outbreaks of yellow fever and Zika virus, will continue to influence climate patterns until mid-year, but a resurgence is highly unlikely in 2016, the World Meteorological Organization said.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.