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A mysterious 'warm blob' of water off the West coast of the US could explain why states like California are experiencing their worst ever drought, while the East is battered by freezing weather.

The blob in the ocean was discovered last year, with temperatures one to four degrees Celsius (two to seven degrees Fahrenheit) above surrounding 'normal' water.

And the blob has now extended about 1,000 miles (1,600km) offshore, from Mexico up to Alaska, and could herald a warmer summer for some regions.

A 'blob' of warm water 2,000 miles across is sitting in the Pacific Ocean (shown in diagram). Since last June it has extended from Alaska to Mexico. It has been present since 2013 and causing fish to seek shelter elsewhere. And a new University of Washington study says it could be responsible for droughts

A new study by the University of Washington found that a high-pressure ridge could be causing the blob, by trapping heat in the water.

In June of last year, the huge patch of water stretched 1,000 miles (1,600km) in each direction, and was 300ft (90 metres) deep.

Dr Nick Bond, a climate scientist at the University of Washington, coined the term 'the blob' in June.

Ten months later, the blob is now squashed up against the coast, and Dr Bond says all models point to it continuing through the end of this year.

'In the fall of 2013 and early 2014 we started to notice a big, almost circular mass of water that just didn't cool off as much as it usually did, so by spring of 2014 it was warmer than we had ever seen it for that time of year,' said Dr Bond.

Researchers said it may have contributed to the state of Washington's mild 2014 winter and might signal a warmer summer.

But exactly how this area of warmer water has formed, or how long it will stay, remains a mystery.

One thing that can be studied, though, is its effects.

As air passes over warmer water and reaches the coast it brings more heat and less snow, which the scientists say helped cause current drought conditions in California, Oregon and Washington.

The researchers said that it might not only be causing warmer temperatures on the West coast, but also cooler temperatures on the East coast.

It could also be playing a part in circulating cold and wet air to the central and eastern states of the US.

California's drought (stock image shown left) is one of the worst on record, while the East coast of the US (Central Park in New York shown right) has seen unusually cold temperatures

It is also having an effect on marine life.

Fish have been spotted in unusual places, supporting recent reports that West coast marine ecosystems are suffering and the food web is being disrupted by warm, less nutrient-rich Pacific Ocean water.

Dr Bond noted that, while this phenomenon likely wasn't caused by global warming, it could be a sign of similar weather to come.

'This is a taste of what the ocean will be like in future decades,' Dr Bond said.

'It wasn't caused by global warming, but it's producing conditions that we think are going to be more common with global warming.'

The 'blob' is also having an effect on marine life. Fish, like the Thresher Shark (shown), have been spotted in unusual places, supporting recent reports that West Coast marine ecosystems are suffering and the food web is being disrupted by warm, less nutrient-rich Pacific Ocean water