By Zoila Palma: NASA scientists say the El Niño developing in 2026 could become even stronger than the powerful 1997-98 event, raising concerns about potential impacts on weather patterns around the world.
According to NASA, satellite observations show similarities between the current event and previous major El Niño episodes, which contributed to droughts, wildfires, crop failures, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding in various regions.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern that occurs approximately every two to seven years, bringing warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures to parts of the equatorial Pacific. The phenomenon develops when trade winds weaken, allowing warm water normally concentrated in the western Pacific to move eastward. This shift further weakens the winds and increases ocean temperatures, creating a feedback loop between the atmosphere and the ocean. However, each El Niño develops differently, meaning its effects vary by region and from one event to another.
NASA is using satellite measurements of sea surface height to compare the current El Niño with previous events.
Data collected in October 2026 show elevated sea levels and warm water extending across the eastern Pacific toward the coast of South America, a pattern resembling the 1997-98 event.
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