The United Nations has warned that the world is entering a "danger zone of extreme weather" as an unusually powerful El Niño begins to take hold, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres describing the phenomenon as being "supersized" before our eyes. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says this El Niño could become the strongest in over 70 years and may influence global weather patterns until at least February 2027, disrupting rainfall, intensifying storms and adding to heat already driven by human-induced climate change. Governments and scientists are stepping up early warning systems and pre-emptive measures to limit deaths, displacement and environmental harm as the event unfolds.

Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific have risen sharply, with some readings over 2C above average and forecasts suggesting they could approach 4C above average, which would make this the strongest El Niño since at least 1950. Below the ocean surface, temperatures are more than 8C above average in places, and above-normal warmth is also expected in the Indian Ocean, tropical Atlantic and around Australia, where marine heatwaves are already a growing concern for fisheries and coral reefs. The WMO expects drier conditions across South East Asia, Central America and northern South America in the coming months, raising the risk of droughts and wildfires, while other regions face heightened flooding and typhoon risks.