El Niño Roars In: Forecasts Point to a Record-Strong Global Weather Pulse

Pacific sea-surface temperatures in the El Niño region have topped daily warm records for more than 20 days in June, signaling a potentially record-strong El Niño that could peak between November and January and linger into 2027. The warming is expected to shift global weather patterns, raising the risk of extreme rainfall, floods and landslides in some regions while increasing drought in others; California could see ARkStorm-style flooding and Indonesia faces higher wildfire risk. El Niño may also boost global temperatures and sea levels, affect marine life, and yield both potential benefits (like groundwater recharge) and costs. Forecasters say there’s high confidence this will be a strong event, potentially among the five strongest since 1982.