Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 10 hrs ago
UN warns El Niño could worsen Middle East water shortages in 2027
The World Meteorological Organisation says Middle East water shortages persist despite unusually heavy rain in some areas.
The region has faced severe shortages, extreme heat and growing pressure on agriculture.
Freshwater stored in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and underground remains below normal in parts of the Middle East.
The WMO says 42 per cent of assessed areas worldwide had below-normal freshwater storage in 2025, against a long-term average of 25 per cent.
Years of shortages can outweigh a period of heavy rain, especially where groundwater is already under strain.
El Niño is a natural pattern in which parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, changing weather around the world.
The current El Niño could become one of the strongest on record, increasing the risk of extreme heat and severe weather in 2027.
The WMO says it is expected to continue until at least February 2027.
The UN warned that a powerful El Niño could worsen extreme weather and water shortages in the Middle East in 2027.
The warning came despite unusually heavy rainfall in parts of the region after dry conditions in 2025.
The World Meteorological Organisation said freshwater stored in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and underground remained below normal in the Middle East.
It said the current El Niño could become one of the strongest on record and continue until at least February 2027.
- Who
- The World Meteorological Organisation issued the warning.
- What
- A powerful El Niño could bring more extreme weather and worsen water shortages in the Middle East in 2027.
- When
- The warning was reported on November 9, 2026; the potential impacts are expected in 2027.
- Where
- The Middle East.
- Why
- El Niño changes weather patterns around the world and tends to raise global temperatures, while the region already faces severe water shortages.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Dry conditions were recorded in the Middle East.
Cooler La Niña conditions ended and the El Niño strengthened rapidly.
The WMO warning was reported as it released its State of the Climate 2026 update on the opening day of the COP31 climate summit in Turkey.
The WMO said the El Niño would continue.
- Global freshwater storage
- 42 per cent of assessed areas were below normal in 2025, compared with a long-term average of 25 per cent.
- Middle East rainfall
- Unusually high precipitation followed dry conditions in 2025.
- El Niño outlook
- Could become one of the strongest on record.
- El Niño duration
- Expected to continue until at least February 2027.
- Global temperature
- 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels during the first nine months of 2026.
What people are saying
El Nino will be a risk multiplier. Heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms are intensifying faster than our historical baselines prepared us for.
A supersized El Nino is colliding with a planet already superheated by man-made climate change.