The World Meteorological Organization said the current El Niño is on track to become a very strong event, with sea‑surface temperature anomalies forecast to peak at about plus 3.6 °C, a level not seen in four decades of monitoring.
UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned the planet is in uncharted waters as the phenomenon intensifies, while WMO chief Celeste Saulo said there is an almost 100 % chance El Niño will last through February 2027 and that subsurface Pacific temperatures have exceeded 8 °C above normal in some areas.
The WMO said the intensified El Niño will bring heightened risks of floods, drought and extreme heat worldwide, threatening agriculture, health, energy and water supplies, and warned that the event could deliver a major blow to communities and economies, urging immediate preparedness by disaster‑management authorities and climate‑sensitive sectors.