El Niño is here, and it’s already looking like it could be 'mind-blowing'
Climate scientists are observing record-breaking ocean temperatures in the Pacific, signaling the arrival of a potentially 'super' El Niño. Current models suggest the phenomenon could peak late in the year, leading to significant global weather pattern shifts.
Why it matters
A strong El Niño event can cause extreme weather disruptions worldwide, impacting agriculture, disaster preparedness, and global economic stability.
In the spring, climate scientists had forecasted an El Niño to develop in the central Pacific region.
As the months progressed, more and more of the models forecasted a particularly strong or “super” El Niño, as some people like to call it. But scientists also warned that it was too early to know for sure.
In its monthly update in June , the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issued an El Niño advisory, confirming that the warmer conditions had developed in the specific part of the Pacific Ocean known as Niño 3.4.
This illustration shows the Niño regions in the Pacific Ocean. (NOAA) In order to be considered an El Niño, temperatures in that zone need to be 0.5 C above the average.
Ocean temperatures are now close to 2 C above average. And we're not even close to the peak yet.
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