A ferocious El Niño is brewing thanks to record Pacific heat
Climate scientists are warning of a potentially record-breaking El Niño event for 2026-27 due to unprecedented ocean temperatures in the Pacific. The phenomenon is expected to cause extreme weather patterns and heatwaves globally.
Why it matters
The intensity of this climate event poses significant risks to global agriculture, infrastructure, and public health.
A ferocious El Niño is brewing thanks to record Pacific heat PAGE: Record Pacific warming sets stage for ferocious El Niño left On October 5, the Niño 3.4 region recorded a sea surface temperature that exceeded 30° C for the first time in recorded history. ClimateReanalyzer.org ClimateReanalyzer.org https://th-i.thgim.com/public/sci-tech/science/qcdm53/article71610214.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/image.png Since the modern era of instrumental records began, there have only been three very strong El Niño events, in 2015-16, 1997-98, and 1982-83, with the three-month averages of the temperature anomaly being 2.6°, 2.4°, and 2.1°C, respectively. The 2026-27 El Niño is projected to peak with an anomaly of 3.8°C BENGALURUFor most of this year, climate scientists have been closely monitoring the Niño 3.4 region in the central-equatorial Pacific — the primary index area to define the phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the alarming amount of ocean heat closely tracking an El Niño.
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