US EditionEl Nino Set to Return as Early as May, Impacting Global Weather Patterns, UN Weather Agency Says
The UN weather agency said models point to a strong event that could drive near-global above-normal land temperatures and heavier extreme weather.
- On Friday, the United Nations announced in Geneva that the warming El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to return to the Pacific Ocean by the middle of this year.
- El Niño, a natural phenomenon that warms the equatorial Pacific, typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts around nine to twelve months.
- The Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization reported rising sea temperatures, pointing to a likely return of conditions as early as the May-July window.
- While no evidence suggests climate change alters El Niño's frequency, the WMO noted it can amplify weather impacts by increasing moisture for heatwaves and heavy rainfall.
- Forecasts indicate a "nearly global dominance of above-normal land surface temperatures" over the next three months, following record-high years in 2023 and 2024.
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55 Articles
El Niño set to return in mid-2026, UN warns of global climate impacts
The warming El Niño climate pattern is expected to return by mid-2026, potentially driving higher global temperatures and disrupting weather systems worldwide, the World Meteorological Organization said Friday.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned this Friday of a significant increase in the probability of forming an episode of El Niño between May and July 2026, a phenomenon that could have significant effects on the global climate. As explained in a press conference by the head of climate prediction of WMO, Wilfran Moufouma Okia, climate models point to a high probability of development of this phenomenon after a beginning of the yea…
According to the World Weather Organization, an El Niño announces itself. The weather phenomenon causes extreme weather worldwide. The effects could be noticeable as early as May.
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