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Planet faces new climate shock? One of history's strongest El Niños looms
🇬🇷 Greece /Environment & Climate

Planet faces new climate shock? One of history's strongest El Niños looms

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The UN warns that a new phase of the El Niño phenomenon may begin in the coming weeks, potentially intensifying global warming.
  • Forecasters predict this El Niño could become one of the strongest ever recorded, leading to extreme weather events worldwide.
  • The phenomenon's impacts include drought and high temperatures in some regions, increased fire risk, and potential disruption of monsoon patterns.

The United Nations is sounding the alarm over the potential onset of a new El Niño phase, warning it could exacerbate existing global warming trends. The World Meteorological Organization anticipates this El Niño event will strengthen through 2026, bringing extreme weather across the planet.

National meteorological services suggest the phenomenon could evolve into a "super El Niño," one of the most powerful ever recorded. While predicting the exact timing and intensity remains challenging, scientists are closely monitoring the central Pacific for signs. El Niño forms when wind pattern shifts allow warmer waters to spread across the tropical Pacific Ocean.

We are very confident that a major event is coming. It may even be a record-breaking event.

— Adam ScaifeProfessor Adam Scaife, head of forecasting at the UK's Met Office, commenting on the potential strength of the upcoming El Niño.

Underneath the surface, a massive wave of unusually warm water, exceeding average temperatures by over 6 degrees Celsius in some areas, is moving eastward. This subsurface heat typically precedes surface temperature increases that disrupt global weather patterns. "We are very confident that a major event is coming," stated Professor Adam Scaife, head of forecasting at the UK's Met Office. "It may even be a record-breaking event."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that "El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of an already heating world." He cautioned that the impacts will be more severe, spread faster, and cross borders with "devastating speed." While El Niño's effects vary regionally, strong events often cause drought and high temperatures in South America, Southeast Asia, and Australia, increasing fire risks. It can also weaken the Indian monsoon and lead to drier conditions in parts of Africa, while increasing flood risks in the southern U.S. In Europe, impacts are less predictable but can include mild winters or colder late winters in the UK.

El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of an already heating world. The impacts will be more severe, spread faster, and cross borders with devastating speed.

— António GuterresUN Secretary-General António Guterres warning about the combined effects of El Niño and climate change.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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