The current El Niño climate phenomenon could become the strongest ever recorded, causing abnormal heat, droughts and floods in various regions of the planet. Bloomberg reports this, citing forecasts by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), writes UNN.
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In the summer, water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean already exceeded normal levels by 2°C. According to researchers’ forecasts, the deviation could reach 3.7°C in the last three months of the year, while the previous record was 2.6°C in 2015–2016.
The ocean from which El Niño draws its water is the warmest we have ever measured. There is simply more heat that can be released
El Niño is already affecting the global economy
In Brazil, heavy rains have complicated sugarcane harvesting and threatened the future coffee crop. In Indonesia, drought is exacerbating forest fires, while in California, an increased fire risk is expected in 2027–2028.
Researchers estimate that the previous powerful El Niño in 2015–2016 resulted in the loss of nearly $4 trillion in potential global economic output over the following three years.
Meteorologists forecast that the current phenomenon will last at least until February. At the same time, Europe’s Copernicus climate service estimates the probability of a new global temperature record being set in 2026 at 26%.