WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As much of the world faces grapples with above normal temperatures and major rainfall changes, the UN Meteorological Organization has warned that El Niño, a powerful climate pattern shaping global weather, will intensify starting this month.
A strong El Niño is developing and expected to strengthen during August through October, bringing powerful weather events around the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization's latest monthly global seasonal climate update.
El Niño continues to intensify steadily and is expected to dominate global climate patterns in the August-October 2026 season, increasing the likelihood of above-normal temperatures across much of the world and driving significant shifts in rainfall patterns, the UN Meteorological agency said. Combined with exceptionally warm global oceans and the likelihood of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, the developing El Niño is expected to shape weather patterns across many parts of the world in the months ahead.
Multi-model forecasts indicate expected anomalies related to seasonal-average sea-surface temperature to exceed 2.9°C in key monitoring regions, according to WMO.
'El Niño is strengthening, adding fuel to a planet already on fire with scorching heat domes, apocalyptic wildfires and record hot seas,' UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.
'El Niño is not just on our doorstep; it is inside the house and turning up the heat, and this is only a warm-up act,' he added.
The UN chief warned that fossil fuels are 'fanning the flames of this crisis', and expansion must stop.
'More coal, oil and gas will lead to a more combustible future. Unless we act to protect people and tackle the root cause of the crisis, the dangers will become deadlier still. The warm-up act is over. We cannot afford to wait for the main event.'
The WMO is stepping up coordination, climate information services and early warning to help those affected prepare for potential impacts, including governments, humanitarian agencies, such climate-sensitive sectors as agriculture and health as well as vulnerable communities.
'El Niño is one of the most closely monitored climate phenomena in the world, but forecasts in themselves do not prevent hazards, people do,' said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
The Global Seasonal Climate Update complements WMO's full El Niño/La Niña Update, the next edition of which is set to be issued in early September. It provides a broader assessment of seasonal climate conditions by incorporating the influence of multiple climate drivers, including the Indian Ocean Dipole and Atlantic Ocean conditions, in addition to El Niño.
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