El Nino to be 'very strong' in months ahead, UN says

GENEVA — El Nino is set to become "very strong" in the months ahead, with the weather phenomenon near certain to persist through to February, the United Nations' climate agency warned on Thursday.

The World Meteorological Organization said El Nino would peak toward the end of this year — though its knock-on effects on the climate will continue well into 2027.

"El Nino is firmly established and will intensify into a very strong event in the coming months, with big impacts on rainfall and temperature patterns and associated risks of floods, drought and extreme heat," the WMO said.

El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon and is not caused by climate change.

But scientists expect it will exacerbate the heat on the planet already warming from burning fossil fuels, while triggering weather extremes.

"El Nino is being supersized before our eyes," said UN chief Antonio Guterres.

"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."

El Nino tends to peak late in the year but heat in the oceans releases more slowly into the atmosphere, pushing up global temperatures the following year.

The hottest year on record is 2024, following the last El Nino.

"This exceptional El Nino … has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world," said WMO chief Celeste Saulo.

"We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods, and we expect these impacts to increase as El Nino intensifies."

She put disaster management authorities and climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, energy and water on notice, saying there was "no time to lose" in getting ready.

El Nino warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

It typically takes place every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months.

Conditions oscillate between El Nino and its opposite La Nina, with neutral conditions in between.

"Fueled by exceptionally warm ocean conditions across the tropical Pacific, El Nino is expected to strengthen further during the coming months to a very strong intensity," the WMO said.

The UN agency classifies El Nino events as weak, moderate, strong or very strong — meaning it is set to reach the highest level out of four.

The WMO said there is an "exceptionally high likelihood of nearly 100 percent" that El Nino will continue through to February.

Meanwhile, according to a report released Wednesday by the UN Environment Programme, or UNEP, global warming is likely to surpass the 1.5 C limit set by the Paris Agreement within the next few years.

Even under the most optimistic scenario, temperature rise would peak at 1.8 C above preindustrial levels, the report said, warning that intensified extreme weather and ecosystem loss would threaten health, food security, infrastructure and economies.

AGENCIES-XINHUA