WMO Warns of Potentially Unprecedented El Niño Strength with Global Impacts

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a warning that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, potentially exceeding monitoring records from the past four decades. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific are forecast to rise to 3.8 degrees Celsius above average between November and January, with the peak expected in December. This strong El Niño is anticipated to bring heightened risks of droughts, floods, and extreme heat across large parts of the world, including heavy rainfall and flooding in East Africa (October-December) and drier conditions in Southern Africa (from November), impacting crops.