‘Hellish El Niño’ Breaks Records, Scientists Warn: Powerful Global Impacts Ahead!

The current El Niño has surpassed the previous temperature record for this phenomenon, several months ahead of the predicted peak, raising concerns about severe heat waves, droughts, floods and other extreme consequences in different regions of the world.

The latest data show that the temperature in the central El Niño zone in the Pacific Ocean has reached 3.05°C above average, exceeding the record of 3.02°C registered in November 2015. The measurement is based on average temperatures from 1991–2020.

Climate model forecasts suggest the phenomenon could peak at around 4°C during November and December. Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather has described this scenario as extraordinarily unusual, while the phenomenon has been described by some experts as a “Godzilla”-level El Niño.

El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that causes periodic warming of tropical Pacific Ocean waters and affects weather patterns across the globe. A rise above 0.5°C is considered El Niño, while above 2°C it is classified as a very strong event.

Scientists warn that the impacts of this episode could be greater because it is developing on a planet already warmer as a result of human-caused climate change.

“It is a massive redistribution of energy in the climate system and it is dangerous because it is developing on a much warmer, human-influenced climate system,” said Prof. Friederike Otto of Imperial College London.

According to her, many countries could face unprecedented extreme temperatures, with consequences for health, food security and water supply.

The effects of El Niño are already being reported in different parts of the world. In Indonesia, hot and dry conditions have favored fires and air pollution. In India, changes in monsoon rainfall have been observed.

In Central America and the Caribbean, drought is affecting agricultural production and water levels in the Panama Canal, creating problems for transport and trade as well.

On the other hand, some regions could face more intense rainfall and flooding. Peru and Chile are among the countries that could be hit by heavy rains, while the Horn of Africa is particularly sensitive to changes in rainfall patterns.

In Australia and southern Africa, hotter and drier conditions are forecast, increasing the risk of droughts and fires.

Climate impacts could also affect food security. The World Food Programme has warned that El Niño could push around 50 million people toward acute hunger and contribute to rising food prices.

The Guardian writes that previous powerful El Niño events, particularly those of 1997–1998 and 2015–2016, were accompanied by major economic damage worldwide.

According to Zeke Hausfather, the economic impacts of a very strong El Niño could be particularly large when the phenomenon coincides with an already warmer global climate.

Experts stress that El Niño is a natural phenomenon and comes and goes cyclically, but global warming changes the conditions on which it develops.