The World Meteorological Organization announced on Thursday that the El Niño weather pattern is expected to strengthen significantly until 2027, potentially becoming the most intense event on record. Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated that if the current trend continues, it could surpass any previous monitoring data over the past four decades.
Forecasts from the UN weather agency indicate a high probability of El Niño persisting until February 2027 due to exceptionally warm temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. This level of certainty is unprecedented, according to the WMO. A powerful El Niño can cause substantial shifts in global rainfall and temperature patterns, leading to extreme weather events like typhoons.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the remarkable growth of El Niño, underscoring the unprecedented nature of the current situation. The warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, a natural occurrence every two to seven years lasting up to 12 months, triggers El Niño, affecting precipitation and drought cycles in Latin America.
The ongoing El Niño has already impacted tropical agricultural regions, contributing to a severe food crisis in Central America’s Dry Corridor. The WMO anticipates the peak of this phenomenon later this year, with lingering effects expected into 2027, resulting in elevated global temperatures. Saulo highlighted the organization’s enhanced preparedness and early warning initiatives in response to the situation.
WMO is collaborating with partners across the United Nations and humanitarian sectors to provide essential climate information for disaster management and climate-sensitive industries such as agriculture, health, energy, and water resources.
