'Super El Niño' brewing in Pacific: Scientists eye cloud hacking
Scientists are monitoring a potentially 'super' El Niño event expected by 2026, which could cause extreme weather and global food price shocks. Researchers are exploring controversial geoengineering solutions, such as cloud hacking, to mitigate the warming effects.
Why it matters
The potential for extreme climate events necessitates a global discussion on both adaptation and radical technological interventions.
A vast pool of abnormally warm water is gathering strength across the tropical Pacific, and the world’s best climate models now agree: El Nino is not only back, it is turbocharged.This event is forecast to reach “very strong” or even “super” status by late 2026, with sea surface temperatures in key Pacific zones more than 2°C above normal and some runs pushing toward 3–4°C — levels competitive with the strongest El Ninos in recorded history.As temperatures rise, the odds of extreme weather, food price shocks and public health crises climb alongside them.Scientists are not just tracking this monster; some are beginning to ask a provocative question: could humanity partially “switch off” or soften a super El Nino by deliberately tinkering with clouds over the Pacific — effectively dimming the sun over the engine room of the global climate?Before getting to those geoengineering ideas, it helps to understand what El Nino…
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