By Zoila Palma: El Niño has continued to strengthen to what some scientists are describing as “unprecedented levels,” with several key ocean temperature measurements reaching record territory weeks before the phenomenon is expected to peak in December.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported that average weekly sea-surface temperatures in the central Pacific have reached their highest levels in its available records.
The latest development follows a new record for daily sea-surface temperatures in the central-eastern Pacific in September, surpassing the previous record set during the powerful 2015 El Niño. Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius have also been recorded for the first time in parts of the tropical Pacific, alongside exceptional subsurface warmth and record sea-surface temperature anomalies.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that develops approximately every two to seven years and typically lasts around a year. However, scientists say long-term ocean warming caused by human-induced climate change is adding to the current temperature records.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has noted that there is currently no evidence that climate change is making El Niño events stronger or more frequent, although the relationship remains an area of scientific research.
The strengthening El Niño is expected to contribute to unusually high global temperatures through 2026 and into 2027, as the phenomenon releases additional heat from the oceans into the atmosphere.
The WMO has reported drought- and flood-related disruptions in several regions, raising concerns about food security in parts of East Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
However, scientists caution that the severity of El Niño’s impacts varies by location and that no two events are exactly alike.
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