US warning on 'El Niño' may be the strongest recorded since 1950

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center has warned that the El Niño phenomenon is likely to persist in strength over the coming months, with a probability exceeding 90% that it will reach extreme levels during the autumn and winter of 2026–2027 in the Northern Hemisphere.

The center explained that there is a 69% chance that the phenomenon will reach record levels between October and December 2026, potentially making it one of the strongest El Niño events recorded since the onset of modern climate records in 1950, and possibly surpassing all previous events in intensity.

The center noted that El Niño strengthened during the past month, with sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific exceeding normal rates by more than two degrees Celsius, indicating continued development of the phenomenon in the near future.

El Niño is a periodic climate phenomenon associated with an unusual rise in sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, and it can influence weather patterns, rainfall, and temperatures in various regions around the world.