El Niño confirmed to influence El Salvador, bringing more heat and less rain

El Salvador is experiencing hotter weather and reduced rainfall as the country officially falls under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) confirmed on Monday that El Niño has been affecting the Central American nation since June 23.

The ministry explained that while El Salvador is in its rainy season, El Niño's presence means less precipitation during the typical "canícula" period, which usually sees fewer but not entirely absent rains. This year, "under the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, less rain, more heat, and more dry days are expected," MARN stated in a series of messages on X. The eastern part of the country and coastal areas are anticipated to bear the brunt of these changes.

El Niño is projected to persist through July and August. Depending on its severity, the decrease in rainfall could lead to meteorological drought conditions, ranging from 5 to 10 consecutive dry days for weak drought, 11 to 13 days for moderate drought, and over 16 days for severe drought. This forecast follows a recent 12-day heatwave in El Salvador, where some areas recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, setting new records.

Authorities reported no health issues among citizens due to the extreme temperatures, a situation observed in previous years as well. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently confirmed that El Niño is rapidly intensifying and is expected to become a strong episode in the coming months, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events and natural disasters globally. The WMO data indicates that the warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific waters will accelerate between July and September, leading to a strong El Niño event with sea surface temperature anomalies exceeding 2 degrees Celsius.