El Niño 2026 Surpasses Strong 2023 Event

The El Niño phenomenon in 2026 has intensified beyond the strength of the 2023 event, according to researchers at Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific have reached 1.74 degrees Celsius above average, surpassing the 1.6-degree maximum recorded three years ago.

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It is already clear and proven that El Niño 2026 is stronger than 2023.

Erma Yulihastin, a climate research professor at BRIN, cited data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), suggesting this year's El Niño could reach 3.3 degrees Celsius. This intensity raises concerns that it might exceed the "super" El Niño events of 1997 and 2015, which saw temperature anomalies of 2.2 and 2.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.

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Based on Australia's BOM model, this year could warm to +3.3.

Researchers are observing significant heat transfer from the ocean surface to the atmosphere, a key factor in El Niño's development. This process is expected to fuel a "super" El Niño and could lead to new global temperature records. The situation is being closely monitored, with five storms already detected forming in the Pacific Ocean, two of which have developed into tropical cyclones.

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Where is the excess heat transferred if not to all parts of the sea, especially the surface? And if there is too much heat on the sea surface, where is the excess transferred if not to the atmosphere? This is why a super El Niño is certain to occur and sea surface temperatures will continue to rise progressively.