A rapidly strengthening El Niño could become one of the most powerful on record, raising the risk of major shifts in global weather and potentially pushing temperatures to new highs in 2027.
The climate pattern is already established across the tropical Pacific, with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warning that there is a greater than 90% chance of a very strong El Niño during the Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter of 2026-27.
