Super El Niño May Make 2027 the Hottest Year on Record

NOAA now expects a 90% chance of a “very strong” El Niño, with models predicting the strongest on record and enough heat to push 2027 toward the hottest year in global history—roughly 1.7–1.85°C (3–3.33°F) above preindustrial levels—potentially fast-forwarding the current warming trend by about 13 years. The heat spike is temporary as El Niño fades, but ongoing greenhouse gas emissions keep the long-term temperature trajectory rising.