Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 8 hrs ago
Powerful El Niño is driving global heat and shifting weather patterns
A powerful El Niño is developing in the Pacific, where unusually warm ocean water forms off South America every few years.
El Niño releases heat from the ocean into the atmosphere, and this event is described as the strongest on record.
Global temperatures, ocean heat and sea levels are already exceptionally high; the global average surface temperature from January to September was about 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average.
The effects vary by region: drought is gripping parts of the Amazon, while heavy rain is affecting the Greater Horn of Africa.
In the United States, forecasts point to different conditions by region, including a warmer winter in much of the North and a wetter South.
More heat and extreme weather are expected into 2027, though regional forecasts cannot say exactly what conditions will be in a particular place.
UN leaders say faster emissions cuts and support for vulnerable countries are needed as communities face rising climate risks.
The World Meteorological Organization says a developing Super El Niño is intensifying extreme weather and adding to risks on a planet already warmed by climate change.
The WMO’s 2026 climate update links the event to exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels.
The organization says El Niño could bring more heat and extreme weather into 2027.
Global average surface temperature from January to September 2026 was about 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described El Niño as a risk multiplier for extreme weather in the coming months.
- Who
- The World Meteorological Organization and its Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, warned about the event.
- What
- A developing Super El Niño is linked to exceptional temperatures, melting ice, rising sea levels and intensifying extreme weather.
- When
- The warning was published on November 9, 2026. The WMO says impacts could continue into 2027.
- Where
- The effects are global.
- Why
- El Niño releases heat stored in the ocean, adding to the effects of a planet already warmed by human-caused climate change.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Global average surface temperature was about 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average.
Global sea levels reached their highest values since satellite measurements began in 1993.
Flash floods in Nepal killed more than 1,300 people, according to the report.
The WMO warning about Super El Niño and extreme weather was reported.
The WMO says El Niño is set to bring more heat and extreme weather.
- Global temperature, January–September 2026
- About 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average
- Sea-level measurement record
- June, July and August 2026 were the highest since satellite altimetry began in 1993
- Nepal flash floods
- More than 1,300 people killed in August 2026
- European summer impacts
- Heatwaves, drought and wildfires were linked to more than 30,000 excess deaths
- Forecast period
- El Niño-related heat and extreme weather could continue into 2027
3 sources
A monstrous El Niño has arrived. Here’s what it means for where you live.
Super El Niño is 'off the charts': Extreme climate event is 'supercharging our weather' - bringing exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels
The super El Niño is more than a climate shock – it’s a health one, too
What people are saying
El Niño doesn't add new heat to the planet. It releases heat from the ocean, which is the warmest ever measured. There is simply more heat available to release.
Heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms are intensifying faster than our historical baselines prepared us for.
We have entered a new age of climate extremes,