Powerful El Niño Developing in Pacific, Expected to Reshape Global Weather Patterns
A potentially record-breaking El Niño is developing in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is expected to emerge in the coming weeks, with forecasters warning it could be among the strongest in 140 years. The climate phenomenon occurs naturally every two to seven years when trade winds weaken, allowing warm water to accumulate, and its effects ripple globally through atmospheric changes. The event could trigger widespread drought, flooding, heat waves, and disruptions to food and water supplies across multiple regions, with potential economic losses in the trillions.
A powerful El Niño is developing in the Pacific Ocean and could become one of the strongest on record, according to forecasters including atmospheric scientists at major institutions. The World Meteorological Organization expects El Niño conditions to emerge soon and persist at least through winter. El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that begins when trade winds weaken, allowing warm water to accumulate across an area roughly the size of the continental United States. Although localized to one ocean region, its effects propagate globally by altering the tropical atmosphere, which then influences weather patterns thousands of miles away. Regional impacts vary dramatically: parts of Central America, Asia, Africa, and Australia face increased drought risk and water shortages affecting agriculture and drinking water, while South American Pacific coasts risk torrential rainfall and flooding. The phenomenon is also expected to suppress Atlantic hurricane activity through increased wind shear, though storms that do develop could still cause catastrophic damage. Scientists warn of increased wildfire risks across Australia, Canada, the United States, and the Amazon rainforest.
What different sources said
- Eos (AGU)Center
6 Ways This Year’s “Super El Niño” Could Affect Climate, Humans, and Marine Creatures
- ABC AustraliaCenter
US forecasters say potentially record-breaking El Niño underway
- BloombergCenter
El Niño Emerges in the Pacific, Raising Heat Risks
- Sky NewsCenter
Risk of 'very strong' El Nino raising global temperatures, scientists warn
- Bangkok PostCenter
Scientists warn of record heat as climate monitoring threatened
‘Super El Niño’ is officially here, scientists say. What can we expect?
- AP NewsCenter
El Nino is here and scientists fear it’ll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires
NOAA Issues El Nino Advisory
- PBS NewsHourLeft
El Nino is here. It'll be big, bad and costly, scientists fear
- Live ScienceCenter
El Niño is officially here, and will be among the strongest ever recorded, NOAA announces
- South China Morning PostCenter
El Nino is back – and it could be ‘one for the history books’
- DawnCenter
Weather pattern El Nino has begun, says US agency NOAA
- Deutsche WelleCenter
The most powerful El Nino in a century could be on its way
- NewsweekCenter
El Niño Could Bring Sharks to Beaches That Have Never Seen Them
- ReutersCenter
El Nino conditions are present, US forecaster says
- Live ScienceCenter
El Niño is officially here, and will be among the strongest ever recorded, NOAA announces
El Niño is officially here, bringing domino weather effects across the planet
- The Straits TimesCenter
Why the world is bracing itself for a rare ‘super’ El Nino
- India TodayCenter
Godzilla El Nino to eat up Gujarat, Goa's monsoon rain, worsen water crisis
- Sky NewsCenter
Risk of 'very strong' El Nino raising global temperatures, scientists warn
- WiredLeft
Is It a Super El Niño Year? It Could Turn the World’s Weather Upside Down
- NBC NewsLeft
El Niño is officially here, and this one could be a doozy
- New ScientistCenter
El Niño has started and the weather could get weird
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
El Niño under way and threatens weather extremes, scientists say
- ABC NewsCenter
El Nino returns, likely will intensify into a strong event this year, NOAA says
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
El Nino has officially begun, bringing risk of drought, extreme heat and bushfires
- BBCCenter
El Niño has begun, scientists say, and could bring record heat
- The IndependentLeft
‘Super’ El Nino is officially here and scientists fear it’ll ‘get dire very quickly’
- Science (AAAS)Center
El Niño has begun. It may become the strongest this century
- CNNCenter
El Niño is officially here, and it could get historically “super”
- The HinduCenter
El Nino is here and scientists fear it’ll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires
- Channel NewsAsiaCenter
Weather pattern El Nino has begun, says US agency
El Nino forms, expected to strengthen, say NOAA forecasters
- The GuardianLeft
El Niño forms in Pacific as experts say it will likely turbocharge extreme weather
- Scientific AmericanCenter
El Niño is here and could tip Earth to a new record hot year
- CBCLeft
El Niño is officially here, and scientists say it will be particularly strong with widespread impacts
- WIREDCenter
El Niño Is Here to Turn the World’s Weather Upside Down
- France 24Center
El Nino returns and could become one of the strongest on record
A ‘very strong’ El Niño is likely. And it could hit California hard
- Phys.orgCenter
Record heat pushes human-driven warming to 1.39C, 1.5C could arrive by 2030
- EuronewsCenter
El Niño is here and scientists fear it'll be big, bad and costly with heat, floods, droughts, fires
- The Weather NetworkCenter
The wait is over: El Niño is officially here and it may make history
- CBCLeft
El Niño is officially here, and scientists say it will be particularly strong with widespread impacts
- NDTVCenter
El Nino Raises Ocean Temperatures: How Marine Life Could Be Affected
- The ConversationCenter
El Niño is back, and ocean temperatures are already near record highs – that can spell disaster for fish and corals
- ITVXCenter
El Niño officially declared but what does it mean for UK weather? | ITV News
- BusinessLineCenter
El Nino has set in, Positive IOD likely by July, says Japanese weather body
- Times of IndiaCenter
Forecasts indicate El Niño to grow stronger during monsoon: IMD
- Hindustan TimesCenter
El Nino is active now in India, may get stronger this monsoon: IMD | India News
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