El Niño Drives Record Pacific Ocean Warming
El Niño Drives Record Pacific Ocean Warming
PacificOcean · Published Sep 27, 2026
• The ongoing El Niño event has caused a significant warming of the Pacific Ocean, with sea-surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region reaching 3.05°C (5.49°F) above the long-term average. This anomaly is among the highest on record, comparable to the 1997–98 and 2015–16 super El Niño events. The phenomenon, which began in mid-2023, is driven by weakened trade winds and subsurface heat, altering global weather patterns. Impacts are already being observed, including increased rainfall in some regions and drought in others. Scientists predict the event will peak in early 2024 and gradually decline by mid-year, but its effects may linger into
• Climate models also suggest a potential transition to a La Niña phase in 2024–25, which could further influence global weather patterns.

Impact & Risks

El Niño's global impacts include wetter conditions in the southern U.S., drier weather in the Pacific Northwest, and severe droughts in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. South America is experiencing a mix of heavy rains in some areas and drought in others, while Africa faces both flooding and drought risks. The Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the driest places on Earth, may see rare rainfall events, potentially causing flash floods. The event is also linked to elevated risks of heatwaves, marine heatwaves, and extreme weather globally, amplified by rising baseline temperatures due to climate change.

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