WMO Warns El Niño Could Become Strongest on Record
WMO says El Niño will intensify through 2027, possibly becoming the strongest ever recorded, with global consequences.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning that the ongoing El Niño event is likely to intensify and could become the strongest ever recorded. The UN agency stated on Thursday that current forecasts show a near 100% likelihood that the phenomenon will persist through February 2027, driven by exceptionally warm Pacific Ocean temperatures.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo told reporters in Geneva that if the current trajectory continues, the event could surpass anything seen in the past four decades of monitoring. She described the situation as potentially "off the charts" compared to historical records.
El Niño, a natural climate pattern marked by the warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts up to 12 months. However, this event is being described as "supersized" by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who noted that the planet is entering uncharted waters that are heating up.
The phenomenon has already had severe consequences, including a food crisis across Central America's Dry Corridor. The WMO expects El Niño to peak towards the end of this year, but its effects will continue well into 2027, potentially leaving higher global temperatures in its wake.
Saulo emphasized that the WMO is enhancing preparedness and early warning systems. The agency is working with UN partners to provide climate intelligence for disaster management and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, health, energy, and water resources.