Extreme El Niños are coming. Reaching net zero sooner means facing fewer of them
New research indicates that extreme El Niño events are likely to become more frequent due to global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The study suggests that achieving net-zero carbon goals is essential to mitigating the intensity and frequency of these climate patterns.
Why it matters
Understanding the link between climate change and extreme weather patterns is critical for global disaster preparedness and environmental policy.
Ashish Kumar/Getty Extreme El Niños are coming. Reaching net zero sooner means facing fewer of them Published: October 13, 2026 10.00am BST https://theconversation.com/extreme-el-ninos-are-coming-reaching-net-zero-sooner-means-facing-fewer-of-them-292134 https://theconversation.com/extreme-el-ninos-are-coming-reaching-net-zero-sooner-means-facing-fewer-of-them-292134 Link copied Share article Share article
Copy link Email Bluesky Facebook WhatsApp Messenger LinkedIn X (Twitter) Print article
The world is on the cusp of an historic El Niño , a climate pattern centred in the Pacific that could reshape weather across the planet.
El Niño is hardly a new phenomenon, but forecasts indicate the coming one could be the biggest ever recorded. Research suggests extreme El Niño years will become more common as the world rapidly warms, driven by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions .
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in