The powerful El Niño heating the tropical Pacific has broken a temperature record months before its expected peak. The latest data shows temperatures in the key Niño 3.4 region reaching about 3.05°C (5.49°F) above the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the previous record high from 2015.
The event is still strengthening, with forecasts suggesting that Pacific temperatures could climb even further toward the end of 2026. Scientists describe anything above 2°C (3.6°F) as a very strong El Niño, often referred to as a “super” El Niño.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern caused by unusually warm waters in the tropical Pacific, but this event is unfolding on top of already elevated ocean temperatures driven by human-caused climate change. Scientists warn the combination could intensify heat, drought, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme weather around the world.
This new record shows just how much heat the world’s oceans are absorbing. But what happens when ocean temperatures keep rising? Click through to discover the causes and potentially devastating consequences.