Overview
- On Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, the World Meteorological Organization and UN officials said El Niño will peak toward the end of the year and likely influence weather patterns into February 2027.
- Scientists report unusually high ocean temperatures in the central‑eastern equatorial Pacific, with sea surface anomalies about 2.2–2.6°C above average and pockets of subsurface warmth exceeding 8°C.
- The WMO says those ocean heat levels raise the odds of more floods, droughts and extreme heat, and it named agriculture, health systems and power supplies as sectors at high risk.
- National services have stepped up early warnings and preparedness and the WMO has launched what it calls an unprecedented mobilization to help governments and aid groups plan responses.
- El Niño is a recurring natural cycle driven by weakened trade winds and eastward warm water that can amplify global temperatures on top of human‑caused warming and raise the chance of record hot years.