Forecasters Warn of Potential 'Super El Niño'

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New data from Europe's leading weather center suggests a powerful El Niño—possibly among the strongest recorded—could form later this year, with global effects stretching into 2027. Impacts could include a hotter-than-normal summer in the Western US, more storms near Hawaii and in the western Pacific, and drier conditions in India, Australia, Indonesia, parts of Africa, and the Caribbean.

Why it matters

A 'super' El Niño event, where the warming in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific exceeds 2 degrees Celsius, can significantly reshape weather patterns worldwide and often leads to new global temperature records, building on long-term climate change trends.

The details

According to the Washington Post, new data from Europe's leading weather center suggests a powerful El Niño—possibly among the strongest recorded—could form later this year. This would likely lead to a hotter-than-normal summer in the Western US, more storms near Hawaii and in the western Pacific, and drier conditions in India, Australia, Indonesia, parts of Africa, and the Caribbean. Fewer Atlantic hurricanes are likely, but experts warn just one landfalling storm can still define a season.

• The potential 'super' El Niño event could form later this year.
• The global effects of the event are expected to stretch into 2027.

What’s next

Forecasters caution that it's early and models this time of year are less reliable, so the potential 'super' El Niño event is still uncertain.