WMO Warns Strengthening El Niño Could Increase Risk Of Extreme Heat

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that a strengthening El Niño event could increase the risk of extreme weather conditions in the coming months.

According to the WMO's latest forecasts, there is a nearly 100% chance that the current El Nino event, which fully developed in mid-August, will continue through February 2027. The organization said the event is expected to strengthen further in the coming months due to unusually high ocean temperatures, reaching its peak toward the end of 2026. Its climate impacts are expected to continue through much of 2027.

El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. A strong El Nino can significantly alter temperature and rainfall patterns in different parts of the world.

For September–November 2026, WMO multi-model forecasts indicate an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures across almost all land areas, alongside rainfall patterns showing a pronounced and classic atmospheric response to the strong Pacific El Niño.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that typically develops every two to seven years, when waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific become unusually warm. That warming can alter atmospheric circulation thousands of miles away, shifting rainfall and temperature patterns everywhere.

The WMO said some regions are already experiencing serious impacts from droughts and floods. The organization warned that these effects could become more severe as the El Nino event strengthens.

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