The world faces the threat of extreme weather amid a strengthening El Niño

The world has found itself at heightened risk of extreme weather events amid the rapid strengthening of the natural phenomenon El Niño.

This was stated by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged countries to prepare for the possible large-scale consequences of changing weather conditions.

According to the latest data from the World Meteorological Organization, El Niño continues to gain strength and could become one of the most powerful in the entire history of observations. According to experts' forecasts, the phenomenon will persist at least until February 2027.

El Niño originates in the equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean and is accompanied by an abnormal rise in the surface water temperature. The change in ocean temperature affects the movement of air masses and atmospheric circulation, and as a result the consequences of the phenomenon are felt far beyond the Pacific region.

In some parts of the world this may lead to prolonged periods of drought and water shortages, while other regions will face increased precipitation, flooding, and more powerful tropical cyclones. An additional threat is posed by rising air temperatures, which could intensify the global warming already being observed.

“El Niño is growing before our eyes. The scientific data leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and these waters are heating up,” Guterres stated.

The World Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, reported extensive work on distributing forecasts to countries and communities that could potentially fall within the zone affected by extreme weather. The main task is to ensure that local authorities and the population receive information about possible risks in advance and are able to prepare for them.

The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Celeste Saulo, also warned about the serious consequences of the strengthening natural phenomenon. According to her, El Niño is capable of inflicting severe damage on entire communities and national economies.

The scale of the ongoing changes is evidenced by the surface temperature of the Pacific Ocean. In the central and eastern parts of its tropical zone, readings in recent weeks have exceeded average values by more than 2 degrees Celsius. Such a level already allows specialists to regard the upcoming phenomenon as “very strong.”

In individual months, its deviation from the climate norm could approach 4 degrees Celsius.

If these forecasts are confirmed, the current El Niño could become the most powerful since the beginning of systematic observations in 1950 and surpass previous extreme episodes in scale.

Source: BBC