NYA Editorial Staff
El Niño is strengthening rapidly in the Pacific, and while some of the headlines surrounding it have been dramatic, the underlying numbers are worrysome enough on their own.
According to data cited by The Guardian and based on measurements from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, temperatures in the central Pacific associated with El Niño have reached 3.05°C above the 1991–2020 average, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.
El Niño itself is a natural climate pattern, driven by changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation. What is different today is the broader climate in which the current event is developing.
Global temperatures have risen as greenhouse-gas concentrations have increased, meaning a strong El Niño is now occurring against a warmer planet than previous events. Scientists quoted in the report warn that this combination can increase the potential for extreme heat, drought, flooding, wildfire and food insecurity in different parts of the world.
Those effects are not uniform. El Niño will bring drought to some regions while increasing rainfall and flooding elsewhere. For example, Indonesia has already faced major wildfires and hazardous air pollution, while drought has affected crops in Central America and lowered water levels in the Panama Canal. Other regions are preparing for heavier rains and flooding.
The larger issue is how a powerful natural climate cycle interacts with a planet that is warmer than it was during previous El Niño events, and whether that warming is amplifying some of its effects.
Source: Damian Carrington, “Jaw-dropping El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak,” The Guardian, September 21, 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/