EL NIÑO. A ship transits the Panama Canal near the Gamboa hydrometeorological monitoring station as a lack of rainfall linked to El Nino affects the water levels, in Gamboa, Panama, on August 27, 2026.
Enea Lebrun/Reuters
'El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: The planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up,' says United Nations chief Antonio Guterres
The El Niño phenomenon is expected to intensify through 2027, potentially becoming the strongest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
There is a near 100% likelihood that El Niño will persist until February 2027, driven by exceptionally warm Pacific Ocean temperatures, which could lead to extreme weather events globally.
