WMO warns of unprecedented strength for current El Niño, forecasting widespread global impacts.

The World Meteorological Organization has released a new seasonal climate outlook indicating that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures potentially rising to 3.8°C above average during November 2026 to January 2027. This strong El Niño is expected to disrupt normal temperature and rainfall patterns globally, leading to severe drought in some regions, heavy rainfall and flooding in others, and increased heat across large parts of the world. Specific impacts include increased wildfire and smoke-haze risks in Southeast Asia, increased rainfall in the Northwest US and southern parts of western South America, increased drought risk in Central America, the southern Caribbean, and the Amazon, wetter-than-normal conditions and flooding concerns in East Africa, and increased risks of drier conditions affecting crop production and water availability in Southern Africa.