This year's El Nino set to be strongest in more than a century, UK forecasters say

Cover image: An aerial view taken on July 30, 2026 shows a mosque and surrounding buildings in Somang village in Lebak in Indonesia's western Banten province, which was deliberately flooded to make way for the construction and filling of the Karian Dam that opened in 2023 and has now re-emerged due to the El Nino-driven drought. Indonesia believes cloud seeding can help it tackle a wildfire season that experts say is on track to be among the worst in years, driven by a strong El Nino. © Bay Ismoyo, AFP

Britain's Met Office has predicted sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific will reach an "unheard-of" level of potentially more than three degrees above average, triggering severe droughts across South America and the West Pacific. Such an event would have serious knock-on effects for global food security.

This year's El Nino weather pattern will be the biggest in over a century, warming sea surface temperatures to an "unheard-of" level, Britain's national weather agency predicted Friday.