France mobilizes 260 climate protests as government prepares adaptation plan
France sees coordinated climate protests demanding emergency action as government prepares national adaptation plan.
Event / Science
Global Climate Crisis 2026
Widespread climate impacts including record heat, wildfires, and coordinated climate action demonstrations across multiple countries
3 reported locations
Daily activity
11 articles0 articles
2026-08-21 to 2026-11-02 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Aug, 13:52 UTC
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What happened
Historical El Niño episodes at very strong intensity since 1950
Since 1950, seven El Niño episodes have reached very strong intensity according to NOAA. The strongest on record occurred in 1982-1983.
Sea surface temperatures in equatorial Pacific reach record highs
Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific are already significantly above average and continuing to rise. Between May and July 2026, temperatures averaged 1.5°C above normal; by July, 2.0°C above normal. Between late July and mid-August, readings reached 2.2°C to 2.6°C above average. Subsurface ocean temperatures in some zones exceeded average by more than 8°C in July and early August.
El Niño likely to drive 2027 as warmest year on record
Following El Niño events, ocean heat stored subsurface is released into the atmosphere, typically increasing global temperatures. Many climatologists predict 2027 will be the warmest year ever recorded. The warmest year to date is 2024, which followed the previous El Niño.
WMO projects widespread temperature and precipitation impacts September-November 2026
WMO forecasts indicate increased probability of above-normal temperatures across nearly all land areas for September-November 2026, with precipitation patterns consistent with a strong El Niño response in the Pacific region.
WMO forecasts exceptionally strong El Niño intensifying through February 2027
The World Meteorological Organization announced that El Niño has become firmly established and will intensify to very strong intensity over the coming months, with expected peak around late 2026 and ~100% probability of persistence until February 2027. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo warned the episode could exceed the limits of monitoring charts used for four decades.
UN Secretary-General warns of unprecedented El Niño impacts on populations and economies
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that El Niño has the potential to severely impact populations and economies worldwide. He stated the planet is entering uncharted waters with record ocean temperatures and extreme weather events becoming the new norm, calling it a race against time between escalating risks and climate action.
El Niño historically triggers droughts, floods and extreme weather in multiple regions
Historically, El Niño has provoked or intensified droughts and fire risks in parts of the Amazon, Central America, Indonesia and Australia; disrupted monsoons in India; and caused heavy rainfall in East Africa. The phenomenon occurs naturally every 2-7 years.
2026-2027 El Niño predicted to potentially exceed all historical records
Forecasters have become nearly certain that the 2026 to 2027 El Niño event will be an all-time record event. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center indicated a 69% chance of a historic event that would exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950, with ocean waters predicted to reach three degrees Celsius above normal.
El Niño events linked to global impacts including famine, civil conflict, and natural disasters
Studies have linked El Niño periods to famine in Europe, civil wars in tropical regions, and droughts, floods, and forest fires around the world. The climate pattern causes elevated sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, disrupting global temperatures and rainfall patterns with profound impacts on human populations and ecosystems.
El Niño intensification linked to ocean stratification mechanism
As the tropical Pacific region warms due to climate change, the surface of the ocean becomes warmer and receives more rainfall. These conditions make the surface ocean less dense, causing it to float more isolated from deeper, cooler water. This stronger ocean stratification makes the surface layer more sensitive to wind changes that trigger and maintain El Niño events.
Climate change identified as driver of El Niño intensification
Using climate simulations, researchers ruled out natural causes such as volcanic eruptions or solar variability as explanations for the shift toward stronger El Niño events. The study demonstrates that the strength of El Niño changes in parallel with global temperature warming, indicating human-caused climate change is amplifying the natural climate pattern.
Previous El Niño from June 2023 to April 2024 made 2024 hottest year on record
Earth's last El Niño ran from June 2023 to April 2024, delivering an injection of heat to the already warming world. This event contributed to making 2024 the hottest year on record.
Study finds El Niño events 40% stronger over past four decades
A study published August 27 in the journal Science found that El Niño events have become nearly 40% stronger over the past four decades compared to the preindustrial era. Researchers analyzed 13 ancient and modern coral samples from the Galápagos Islands and discovered that the big El Niño events of the last 40 years are not normal in the context of the last thousand years.
Met Office predicts most intense El Niño in over a century
The British Met Office warned that the upcoming El Niño phenomenon is expected to be the most intense observed in over a century. Adam Scaife, head of long-term forecasting at the Met Office, stated he had never seen such a phenomenon develop in their forecasts. The episode is predicted to peak with sea surface warming exceeding three degrees in a reference zone of the Pacific Ocean, an unprecedented level in modern climate records.
El Niño expected to intensify global weather patterns
El Niño is a natural temporary climate phenomenon that occurs every two to seven years. When it occurs, it compounds human-caused climate warming and alters temperatures and precipitation patterns worldwide, potentially causing episodes of drought, heavy rainfall, and storms.
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2 alternative perspectives
Europe's summer 2026 delivers devastating death toll and destruction
France's 8,000 heatwave deaths and 500,000+ hectares of EU forest fires mark summer 2026's European disaster.
Climate-driven harvest collapse threatens global food price surge
Climate disruption reducing harvests will drive global food price inflation upward.
Record heat and drought trigger cascading wildfires across continents
Record heat triggered continent-spanning droughts and wildfires, killing 35,000 in Europe.
August 2026 marks critical climate threshold as temperatures shatter records
Record August temperatures breach 1.5°C threshold permanently, escalating tipping point risks.
UN warns El Niño poses unprecedented threat to global populations and economies
UN warns El Niño's unprecedented severity threatens global economies and populations through intensifying climate impacts.
WMO warns El Niño will intensify through February 2027
WMO expects El Niño to intensify through early 2027, likely making it the warmest year on record.
El Niño intensification amplifies famine and conflict risks globally
Intensifying El Niño events amplify famine, conflict, and disaster risks for vulnerable populations.
Scientists project 2026-2027 El Niño could shatter temperature records
2026-2027 El Niño predicted to potentially exceed all historical temperature records.
Research reveals climate change intensifying El Niño events by 40 percent
Climate change intensifies El Niño events 40% stronger via ocean stratification mechanism.
Met Office warns of most intense El Niño in over a century
Met Office predicts most intense El Niño in over a century, intensifying global weather patterns.