El Niño Sets Pacific Temperature Record, Strength Ranking Disputed

El Niño pushed September sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific’s Niño3.4 monitoring region to 29.70°C, a record for the region, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The reading exceeded the peak temperatures recorded during the strong 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16 events, but whether the current episode is the strongest on record remains disputed because agencies use different measures. Copernicus said its newer index, which accounts for warming across tropical oceans, does not yet show the current El Niño surpassing past events. It described September’s readings as exceptionally strong, particularly because the event had not yet peaked. Japan’s weather agency, using its own monitoring area and measure, said Friday that El Niño conditions had reached their strongest intensity on record, with temperatures 4°C above normal. El Niño is a recurring climate pattern that warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and shifts winds, pressure and rainfall around the world. It can increase the risk of drought in some places and flooding in others.