UN warns strong El Niño is imminent

A potentially strong El Niño weather pattern could begin in a matter of weeks, the UN warns, driving up global temperatures on a planet already under strain from climate change

EL NIÑO INDEX, 1950-2026
Three-month rolling temperature anomaly, east-central Pacific (°C)

Super El Niño: Warming above 2°C degrees indicates very strong El Niño

1982-83
1997-98
2015-16
2023-24
Possible range for Nov 2026

EL NIÑO
LA NIÑA
-2.0
-1.0
-1.5
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0

1960
1980
2000
2020

EL NIÑO SIGNS: Unusually warm subsurface waters in tropical Pacific, more than 6°C above average, developing

EL NIÑO TYPICAL
REGIONAL IMPACTS
Drier
Wetter

Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean

Indian summer monsoon may weaken
Dry weather can fuel wildfires in Amazon and Australia
Reduced hurricane activity

Sources: World Meteorological Organization, NOAA, IRI, BBC, Reuters
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