UN confirms El Niño could become the strongest ever recorded, with effects extending into 2027
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
News
Official statement
Ongoing story
- The World Meteorological Organization said El Niño will intensify toward the end of 2026 and could produce impacts at least through February 2027.
- The agency warned of major changes in rainfall and temperatures, increasing risks of floods, droughts and extreme heat.
- Several Latin American countries have declared emergencies or issued high-level alerts as the phenomenon intensifies.
El Niño is intensifying before the world’s eyes, according to the World Meteorological Organization, which says the current episode could become stronger than any recorded since monitoring began four decades ago.
The UN weather agency said the phenomenon is clearly established and will strengthen in the coming months, reaching its peak toward the end of 2026. Its effects on climate patterns are expected to continue at least until February 2027. The agency put the probability that the episode will persist through February at nearly 100%.
El Niño is clearly established and will intensify into a very strong phenomenon in the coming months, with major impacts on rainfall and temperature patterns and associated risks of floods, droughts and extreme heat.
The expected effects include pronounced changes in rainfall and temperatures, along with heightened risks of flooding, drought and extreme heat. For September through November 2026, forecasts indicate a greater likelihood of above-normal temperatures across almost all land areas. The agency said rainfall patterns could show the strong and characteristic atmospheric response associated with El Niño in the Pacific.
It could be more powerful than anything observed since our monitoring began.
The tropical Atlantic is also expected to remain generally warm, with sea-surface temperatures in the northern and southern tropical Atlantic above normal. Those conditions could reinforce, weaken or alter El Niño’s usual effects in different regions. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said the episode “could be more powerful than anything observed since our monitoring began.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that El Niño is becoming “gigantic before our eyes” and that rising sea and air temperatures are pushing the planet into a danger zone for extreme weather. He said the phenomenon could deliver a “devastating blow” to the world’s economies.
El Niño is becoming gigantic before our eyes. Science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are warming.
In Latin America, Panama and El Salvador have declared emergencies, while the effects have already led to reduced vessel traffic through Panama’s interoceanic canal. Peru declared an emergency in nearly all its departments, and Ecuador issued a red alert. Argentina is preparing for an unusual end to the year.
Devastating blow
About this summary
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
More Stories
From Our Blog
News in Translation: What Gets Lost, and How We Keep the Framing
Diaspora Media: How Communities Abroad Follow Home
Traveling Where the Press Is Not Free: How to Read the News There
The Digital Nomad's Guide to Local News
The Same Story, Different Countries: How Coverage Changes at the Border
