UN warns El Niño could trigger extreme heat, droughts and heavy rainfall worldwide
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a new El Niño event would further intensify the effects of climate change. “El Niño will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world,” he said, calling for accelerated climate action, greater investment in renewable energy and stronger early warning systems.
The United Nations’ weather agency has warned that a developing El Niño climate pattern could push global temperatures even higher in the coming months, increasing the likelihood of heat waves, droughts, heavy rainfall and other extreme weather events around the world.
In its latest update, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said there is an 80% chance that El Niño conditions will emerge between June and August 2026. If the phenomenon develops, the agency estimates there is a greater than 90% probability that it will persist through at least November.
El Niño is a natural climate cycle marked by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon typically influences global weather patterns, often bringing hotter temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, drought conditions in some regions and flooding in others.
The WMO said most forecasting models indicate that any upcoming El Niño event is likely to be at least moderate in strength and could potentially become strong. The agency urged governments and communities to prepare for its possible impacts, dw.com reports.
“We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event, which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said.
Beyond temperature extremes, El Niño can contribute to reduced food and water supplies, increased disease transmission through insects such as mosquitoes and ticks, and lower agricultural yields. Crops vulnerable to climate variability, including cocoa, may face poor harvests if conditions worsen.
The warning comes as several parts of the world are already experiencing unusually high temperatures. Western Europe recently recorded record-breaking heat for May, while countries including India and China continue to grapple with intense summer heat.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a new El Niño event would further intensify the effects of climate change. “El Niño will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world,” he said, calling for accelerated climate action, greater investment in renewable energy and stronger early warning systems.
The previous El Niño episode in 2023–24 contributed to 2024 becoming the hottest year ever recorded globally. With ocean temperatures remaining exceptionally high, forecasters expect above-normal temperatures across much of the world during the June-to-August period.
