South Africa could experience record heat, below-normal rainfall and more frequent severe heatwaves in 2027 if a forecast very strong El Niño develops as expected, the South African Weather Service says.
South Africa could face its hottest year on record in 2027 amid an intensifying strong El Nino event, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) has said.
In a statement, SAWS said a strong El Nino had formed in the Pacific Ocean and was likely to intensify during the Southern Hemisphere spring.
"The latest predictions are indicative that the El Nino will likely intensify further to become the strongest event in living memory," it said.
The latest weekly averaged sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern central tropical Pacific Ocean have already exceeded the threshold for a very strong El Nino, SAWS said.
