The essentials
El Niño returns in 2026, expected to make 2027 the warmest year on record.
The World Meteorological Organization forecasts El Niño conditions to emerge between May and July 2026, marking a return of the climate pattern after the 2023-2024 episode. The anticipated El Niño is expected to be more powerful than the previous event, according to climate forecasts.
2027 is projected to become the warmest year on record, surpassing 2024, as the combined effects of El Niño and underlying warming trends intensify global temperatures. The timing suggests a peak warming signal will coincide with the height of El Niño's influence, amplifying thermal stress on marine and terrestrial systems. This outlook extends beyond the immediate 2026 conditions already observed in global ocean temperatures and marine heatwaves.
Other ways to read this story.
Alternative framings generated by SigNews. These are not independent sources or attributed quotations.
Climate forecasts show El Niño intensifying with unprecedented 2027 warmth
Climate modeling indicates El Niño emergence in May-July 2026 will exceed the 2023-2024 episode in strength, setting conditions for sustained warming into 2027. The projection of 2027 as the warmest year on record represents a continuation of warming trajectories, grounded in predictive analysis of ocean-atmosphere interactions and thermal accumulation patterns.
Record-breaking warmth expected as El Niño pattern returns to Pacific
Following April 2026's continued marine heating and persistent ocean temperature elevation, El Niño's return from May-July 2026 introduces a reinforcing mechanism for global warming. The predicted 2027 record would surpass 2024, extending the sequence of exceptionally warm years, reflecting the compounding effects of seasonal climate patterns and long-term thermal trends.