‘Very Strong.’
This is the forecast of the United Nations weather agency, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), on the current state of the El Niño phenomenon around the world.
In its latest update, the WMO said there is an almost 100% chance that El Niño will peak this September through February 2027.
El Niño occurs due to intensified warm ocean conditions in the tropical Pacific.
It typically occurs every two to seven years and is not caused by climate change.
Its effects include severe drought and possible impacts on the agriculture and fishing sectors, which could affect people’s daily lives.
However, it was described as ‘very strong’ because the current El Niño is developing against an unusual climate backdrop.
Nevertheless, the WMO emphasized that its actual effects will still vary across different regions of the world.
It will still depend on location, season and other climate conditions, including changes in the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
The United Nations continues to work with national weather and climate agencies to strengthen forecasts and early-warning systems.
They also urged countries to prepare, particularly for communities and sectors that are most vulnerable.
The UN World Food Programme previously warned that the strengthening El Niño could push at least 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by 2027.