Forecasters declare the onset of El Niño
The warming of the tropical Pacific returned, signalling shifts in weather patterns around the world in the months ahead.
Forecasters declared the onset of El Niño conditions this June, marking the return of the periodic warming of the tropical Pacific that reshapes weather patterns across the globe and typically nudges global temperatures higher.
El Niño is defined by unusually warm sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern tropical Pacific, and its effects ripple far beyond that region by altering the behaviour of the atmosphere. Its arrival carries implications for rainfall, temperature and storm activity worldwide in the months ahead.
Among the expected effects, El Niño tends to increase wind shear over the Atlantic, which can suppress hurricane development, while favouring more active conditions in the Pacific. It is often associated with drought in parts of Asia and Australia and heavier rainfall in parts of the Americas, with significant consequences for agriculture and water supplies.
Forecasters also noted that El Niño typically adds a temporary boost to global average temperatures, layered on top of the long-term warming trend, raising the prospect of renewed heat records in the period ahead.
Governments, farmers and disaster planners watch the development of El Niño closely, as its influence on seasonal weather can be anticipated months in advance, offering valuable lead time to prepare for the droughts, floods and shifts in storm activity that may follow. Its return once again placed this powerful natural cycle at the centre of the global weather outlook.