The El Niño phenomenon currently developing over the Pacific Ocean could become one of the strongest events recorded in the last 75 years, according to a warning issued by the U.S. Climate Prediction Center. Scientists say the current event has the potential to rank among the most powerful “Super El Niño” episodes observed since records began in 1950. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center stated that the El Niño event is expected to continue strengthening throughout this year and may intensify further by the end of the year. There is also a 97% probability that the phenomenon will persist until the early months of 2027. One of the key indicators of El Niño is an increase in sea surface temperatures of at least 1 degree Celsius above normal levels. According to experts, these unusually warm ocean temperatures have already spread across much of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
However, even extremely strong El Niño events do not affect all regions in the same way. The latest forecasts suggest that India could experience disruptions to the monsoon season and an increased risk of drought conditions, while parts of the United States may face periods of unusually heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific continue to rise at an alarming rate. Some climate models predict that temperatures in these regions could climb as much as 3°C above normal levels. Climate experts warn that if this trend continues, 2026 and 2027 could become the hottest years ever recorded on Earth, potentially setting new global temperature records and intensifying concerns about climate change and extreme weather events worldwide.
