UN Warns Historic El Niño Could Persist Into 2027

The world is facing a rapidly intensifying and potentially historic El Niño event, with the United Nations warning on Thursday that the naturally occurring climate phenomenon could become one of the strongest on record and persist well into 2027. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated there is now a near 100% likelihood that El Niño will continue through February 2027, driven by exceptionally warm Pacific Ocean temperatures. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the unprecedented nature of the situation. “El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up,” he said. Guterres described the world as being “in the danger zone of extreme weather,” framing the current challenge as a race between rising climate risks and the global commitment to take action. The WMO’s latest forecasts indicate El Niño is expected to strengthen into a “very strong” event in the coming months, peaking towards the end of this year. Its effects on global temperatures and weather patterns are predicted to continue well into 2027.