[Strong El Niño to Push Up Asian Inflation; Indonesia and Philippines May See Increases of Nearly 2 Percentage Points] Scientists monitoring satellite and ocean buoy data announced the arrival of El Niño in June. Currently, this could become one of the strongest El Niño events on record. Economists say the overall impact is likely to manifest as slower economic growth and higher inflation, particularly in emerging Asian economies. One study found that following El Niño-affected droughts, consumer prices in Indonesia and the Philippines rose by nearly 2 percentage points.