WMO Announces El Nino Is Strengthening and Will Continue Until 2027

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), affiliated with the United Nations, announced that the El Nino weather phenomenon has become stronger and is expected to become more severe in the coming months. The organization warned that the risks of flood, drought and extreme heat may increase accordingly.

According to WMO's latest forecasts, the probability of El Niño continuing until February 2027 is "almost 100 percent".

El Nino, which develops under the influence of extraordinarily hot conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, is expected to reach a "very strong" level and peak towards the end of 2026. Its effects on the climate are expected to continue through 2027.

WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo stated that droughts and floods have already caused serious damage and disruptions in some regions, and that the effects are expected to increase as El Nino strengthens.

“This extraordinary El Niño requires extraordinary preparation and response,” Saulo said. He noted that WMO is working to strengthen early warning systems and preparations together with national meteorological and hydrological institutions.

According to the data of the World Food Programme, more than 60 million people worldwide were affected by the 2015-2016 El Niño period. The drought in the 2023-2024 period affected approximately 68 million people in the Southern Africa region alone.

El Niño and La Niña constitute two opposing phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, a natural climate cycle. El Niño is characterized by above-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

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