El Nino May Be Strongest Since 1950s, Warns WMO
The unfolding El Nino could become one of the strongest since the 1950s, the World Meteorological Organization said in its monthly climate bulletin on Thursday.
WMO chief Celeste Saulo said there is a near-100 percent chance the event will persist through February 2027. Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific could peak at 3.7 degrees Celsius above normal — beating the 2.6-degree record of 2015-16.
El Nino typically pushes global temperatures higher and scrambles rainfall patterns, bringing drought to some regions and floods to others. Drier-than-average conditions are forecast over the Indian subcontinent. August 2026 tied July 2023 as the hottest month on record at 16.96C.
A University of Chicago study warned the “super-El Nino” could cause up to 451,000 excess deaths globally between June 2026 and February 2027.
El Nino is driven by warming of the equatorial Pacific and typically weakens monsoon rains over India while boosting rainfall in parts of South America. The WMO will issue its next update in November, when the event’s peak strength becomes clearer.
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