El Nino 'wrecking ball' could cause record Pacific temperature rise, UN says
Scientists say the warming cycle is strong enough to push global temperatures higher and intensify drought, flooding and marine impacts worldwide.
- On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization warned of an unprecedented El Niño event, predicting central Pacific temperatures will rise 3.8 degrees Celsius above normal between November and January, peaking around December.
- WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted the event surpasses previous records of around 3 degrees Celsius, describing the weather pattern as a 'wrecking ball' that will cause floods and severe droughts worldwide.
- United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that 50 million people could face increased hunger across Latin America, Africa, and Asia due to extreme weather impacts.
- Disruptions to rainfall patterns will trigger severe drought in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa starting in November, while the WMO projects increased rainfall and flooding risks for Latin America.
- While El Niño is a natural climate cycle, global warming can intensify these events; Kelvin waves have already battered Long Beach, California, in recent weeks, signaling the pattern's real-world reach.
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268 Articles
El Niño will reach its peak by the end of 2026, but its impacts will be felt much later
The UN, through the World Meteorological Organization , has published on Wednesday a new seasonal weather forecast where it alerts to the unprecedented intensity that the El Niño phenomenon can reach this year. This update forecasts temperatures on the surface of the sea level in the tropical Pacific, where it is expected that the epicenter will be this year, which will exceed 3.8o of the usual average . If the forecasts are met, the weather inc…
World Meteorological Organization says extreme weather need not become humanitarian emergency; UN aid chief warns El Nino is 'behemoth', 'wrecking ball'
El Niño is a natural phenomenon that returns every two to seven years.
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