A year ahead of the ‘wrecking ball’: Scientists find new clue to predict when El Niño will strike
Scientists have identified a new method to predict El Niño and La Niña events up to a year in advance by analyzing Pacific climate conditions. This breakthrough could help global communities better prepare for the extreme weather associated with these phenomena.
Why it matters
Improved climate forecasting is critical for humanitarian planning and mitigating the economic and environmental damage caused by extreme weather events.
This year’s El Niño could be “literally off the monitoring charts” as the UN weather agency warns its impacts will extend into 2027.The natural weather phenomenon, which typically occurs every two to seven years, is still intensifying in the Pacific – driving extreme weather across Central America’s Dry Corridor, which stretches from Mexico to Panama, and threatening coral reefs and forests.“The current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength,” Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), told reporters in Geneva earlier this week.
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