A powerful El Niño is gathering strength in the Pacific, threatening to disrupt weather around the globe as forecasters warn of an approaching peak that could push ocean temperatures into unprecedented territory.
The World Meteorological Organization’s latest seasonal outlook projects sea surface temperatures in a key tropical Pacific monitoring region approximately 3.8 degrees Celsius above average during November 2026 through January 2027. The warming is forecast to peak around December.
“This is literally off the monitoring charts that we have used for the past four decades,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, according to the Daily Mail.
“El Niño will peak towards the end of 2026 but its impacts will be felt long after that.”
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El Niño is the warm phase of a naturally occurring Pacific climate cycle. When trade winds weaken or reverse, warm surface water accumulates toward South America, reducing the upwelling of colder water and altering atmospheric circulation.
The consequences can stretch far beyond the ocean: severe drought in some regions, destructive rainfall in others and increased heat across large parts of the world.
The WMO warns that the intensifying event could strain food production and water supplies. Parts of East Africa face increased flooding risks, while southern Africa could experience drier conditions that threaten crops and livelihoods. Southeast Asia faces additional pressure from heat and rainfall deficits.
In the Americas, the agency identifies increased rainfall prospects for the northwestern United States and drought risks in parts of Central America, the southern Caribbean and the Amazon. These seasonal outlooks describe broader weather patterns; regional and local forecasts remain essential for identifying specific threats.
The approaching peak leaves governments and communities a window to prepare.
“A powerful El Niño does not have to be a recipe for humanitarian disaster,” Saulo said.
“We have the science, the forecasts and the early warning systems to save lives and protect livelihoods.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
