El Niño Has Arrived: Scientists Warn of Extreme Weather

US scientists have confirmed the arrival of El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon that raises global temperatures. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific have risen rapidly in recent months, signaling the start of El Niño. Many forecasts indicate this could become a super-strong El Niño, possibly among the strongest ever recorded.

El Niño is occurring on top of decades of human-caused global warming, which has already raised baseline temperatures. Scientists warn that next year could see record heat, along with extreme weather events, food supply disruptions, and economic damage. NOAA's June forecast gives a 63% chance of a particularly strong El Niño between November and January. Some US and European models even predict temperature anomalies of three degrees Celsius above average.

Professor Adam Scaife of the UK Met Office expressed concern that this El Niño is unfolding in warmer conditions than any previous one, which could push temperatures to unprecedented highs in affected regions. He predicts that the world will experience extremely high air temperatures by the end of 2027.

The effects of El Niño will be most acute in tropical regions: northern Peru and southern Ecuador face severe flooding, while Australia, Indonesia, and northern South America may experience drought and wildfires, threatening agriculture and food supplies. In the Atlantic, El Niño typically suppresses hurricanes, so a quiet season is expected, but this also brings drought risks to Central America.

Mohamed Adow, head of Power Shift Africa, warned that El Niño means failed harvests, dying plants, rising food prices, and families in crisis, particularly in East Africa, where communities are already suffering from previous floods and droughts.