How El Niño is affecting global weather

El Niño has been strengthening for several months and is already
having a significant impact on weather patterns around the world

Active season

Weak season

Drought/fires

Atlantic
Ocean

Indian
Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Pacific
Ocean

East Pacific: El Niño conditions
create very active hurricane
season, with 22 named storms,
including 12 hurricanes – 10 of
them major. Typical season has
15 named storms and eight
hurricanes

Atlantic: Eerily
quiet season as
El Niño limits storm
formation. Only eight
tropical storms and
one hurricane – Isaias.
Average season would
see 10 named storms
and five hurricanes
by this point

East China and Japan:
Strong typhoons, including
Maysak and Dujuan, bring
widespread flooding and landslides.
Total of 10 tropical cyclones –
highest number since 1966

India: El Niño
contributes to
warmer and drier
conditions. Monsoon
rain has been 13%
below average, with
erratic rainfall patterns
posing severe risks
to agricultural output

Indonesia:
Dry weather
driven by El Niño is 
fuelling worst wildfire
season since 2015.
Almost two million
hectares of land
burned and millions
of people exposed to
toxic haze from fires

Data as of Oct 20, 2026

Sources: BBC Weather, NOAA
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