China's northeast has experienced drastic temperature changes, severe drought and heavy downpours for more than 18 months. It's all due to the lingering El Nino weather system. CCTV reporter Guan Yang has more from Liaoning province.

The impacts of El Niño, a series of weather changes characterized by warming Pacific waters, can vary widely depending on which part of the world you live in. Here in Dalian - it's affecting fishermen's pockets.

This year's El Nino phenomenon is spawning extreme weather around the planet. At Bohai Bay - an area that is rich in fishery resources, drastic temperature changes have had a lasting impact on the supplies of some of the world's most expensive seafood, like the sea cucumbers.

"Too little rain and scorching heat in the last few years have made the sea more salty than it should be. These conditions are making sea cucumbers grow very slowly," said Zhao Hui, fisherman, Pikou town, Dalian.

During the summers of 2014 and 2015, Liaoning was in the grip of severe drought. Thousands of people were left without enough drinking water. Some farmland experienced total crop failure.

Then the rain came all at once - torrential downpours flooded cities across the province.

"The worst drought since 1951 was in 2014. We had 50 per cent less rain than normal and the situation was no better the following year. Torrential rain in July didn't help because the pollination period was already over," said Zhao Lianwei, analyst, Shenyang Regional Climate Center.

The National Climate Center forecasts that the current El Nino will gradually decay and end this month. But it's leaving behind huge economic losses.