Record-breaking El Niño signals the planet’s hottest year on the horizon

El Niño has surged to record heat in the Pacific (ONI around 3.05C, edging past 3.02C from 2015), with models predicting a peak near 4.0C. The event could be the strongest in about 1,000 years and may push 2027 toward the hottest year on record, as climate change amplifies heat and extreme weather worldwide, triggering heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, and food- and water-security pressures.