WMO Says Rapidly Intensifying El Niño Will Peak in December

Overview

• The World Meteorological Organization said Thursday that El Niño is rapidly intensifying, is expected to peak in December and is very likely to persist through February 2027.
• WMO and partner models project central and eastern tropical Pacific sea-surface temperature anomalies could reach about +3.7°C between October and December, a level that would exceed the 2015–2016 record.
• United Nations agencies warn immediate impacts are already unfolding and that children face disproportionate harm from malnutrition, disease outbreaks and interruptions to health and education services.
• Governments and utilities have begun anticipatory measures, including El Salvador’s six-month emergency plan and Brazil’s state and local actions such as new wells, pumps and water trucks in Roraima and contingency steps for reservoirs and livestock in Pernambuco.
• Scientists say climate change has raised ocean heat that El Niño releases to the atmosphere, increasing the odds of larger, faster shocks to agriculture, water and public health and underscoring that early investment in preparedness can sharply reduce human and economic losses.