Near 100% Chance El Niño Will Continue Until 2027, Says WMO

COLOMBO (News 1st); The world is facing the growing threat of extreme weather as El Niño strengthens and is expected to develop into a very strong climate event in the months ahead, according to a new warning issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

In what experts describe as one of the strongest outlooks ever issued on the phenomenon, the WMO says forecasts indicate an "exceptionally high likelihood of nearly 100%" that El Niño will continue through February 2027, bringing significant impacts to global rainfall patterns, temperatures and weather extremes.

The latest assessment points to heightened risks of floods, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related disasters, with impacts expected to be felt across multiple continents.

According to the WMO, exceptionally warm ocean temperatures across the tropical Pacific Ocean are fueling the event and are expected to push El Niño to a very strong intensity before it peaks towards the end of this year.

Even after reaching its peak, climate scientists expect its effects to continue well into 2027.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning over the current trajectory of the global climate.

"El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up. Sea surface temperatures are rising, temperatures keep climbing, and the world is in the danger zone of extreme weather. The race now is between rising risks and our commitment to take climate action and protect people. We must win that race," he said.

The WMO says it is working closely with partners across the United Nations system and humanitarian agencies to provide climate intelligence and early warning information to support disaster management efforts and climate-sensitive sectors including agriculture, health, energy and water resources.