UN warns El Niño could persist into February 2027, raising extreme‑weather risk
The World Meteorological Organization said the current El Niño is likely to intensify into a very strong event and is near‑certain to remain in place until February 2027. Sea‑surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific are unusually high, prompting concerns that the anomaly could exceed previous records. UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned that the prolonged El Niño raises the risk of droughts, floods and extreme heat across regions including Australia, Indonesia, the Amazon, East Africa and the southern United States. Scientists noted that the event will add to existing climate stresses worldwide.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 36h later
- Coverage peaked at 8 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
Extended extreme weather threatens food, water and health security for people around the globe.
How this story developed
- Aug 31 UN warns that a record-breaking El Niño could trigger worldwide extreme weather
- Sep 3 UN says the El Niño is expected to remain in place until February 2027.
