The El NiƱo climate pattern currently building in the Pacific Ocean has become the strongest ever recorded, according to scientists tracking sea surface temperatures, and it hasn’t even reached its peak yet.
On September 19, temperatures in a key stretch of the central-eastern Pacific measured 3.05Ā°C (about 5.5Ā°F) above average, edging past the previous record of 3.02Ā°C set during the powerful 2015 El NiƱo. Forecasters expect this event to intensify further before peaking later this year.
El NiƱo is a natural cycle that occurs every two to seven years, triggered when Pacific trade winds weaken and warm ocean water spreads eastward, releasing heat into the atmosphere and disrupting weather patterns worldwide. Experts measure its strength in different waysāby comparing today’s temperatures to historical averages, or to the broader warming trend caused by climate changeāand not every method has yet confirmed a record.
The effects are already visible. India’s monsoon season has delivered 15% less rain than usual so far. Wildfires linked to El NiƱo are affecting roughly 12.5 million people across Indonesia, according to that country’s health ministry. Meanwhile, the Atlantic has gone without a single hurricane so far this yearāan unprecedented delay since satellite tracking began, likely tied to El NiƱo’s influence on upper-atmosphere winds.
Scientists caution that while this El NiƱo is historically strong, its real-world impacts may not necessarily match its intensity. For the full story, check out the original BBC Weather report.
Source: Developing El NiƱo becomes strongest on record weeks before expected peak (feeds.bbci.co.uk).
Image: anttilipponen, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).