El Niño could return this year and make Earth even hotter. ...
The weather phenomenon known as El Niño could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights, researchers say.
www.cbsnews.comHere’s a concise update on the latest about El Niño years and their impacts.
What El Niño is doing now
- El Niño has a strong history of boosting global temperatures and altering weather patterns, with recent strong events contributing to record warmth in several years. For context, the 2023–24 event was among the strongest on record, driving notable heat and weather extremes in 2023 and 2024.[2][8]
- While current conditions can vary, forecasters expect that even as the Niño signal weakens, its residual effects—heat, drought, and shifted rainfall—can persist for months into the following season.[2]
What to watch in the coming months
- Global temperatures: Even if El Niño weakens, it can still keep temperatures above long-term averages through spring and early summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with potential for record warmth if a new Niño forms later this year.[3][2]
- Weather extremes: Regions may experience a mix of heatwaves, drought in some areas, and wetter-than-average conditions in others, depending on regional climate circulation responses to the Niño phase.[3][2]
Implications by region (high-level)
- Americas: Potential for hotter summers and increased drought risk in the western United States and parts of Central America; wetter conditions in the southeastern U.S. during certain phases of Niño, though patterns can vary year to year.[2]
- Asia-Pacific and Africa: Shifts in monsoon timing and potential droughts or floods in susceptible regions, contingent on Niño strength and other climate drivers.[2]
- Agriculture and energy: Temperature and precipitation anomalies can affect crop yields, water availability, and energy demand, underscoring the value of monitoring short- and medium-term forecasts.[2]
Key sources to follow for updates
- World Meteorological Organization updates on El Niño and its ongoing impacts.[2]
- NOAA/NOAA Climate Prediction Center updates on ENSO forecasts and diagnostic discussions for near-term trends .[7]
- National and international science outlets noting the potential for record warmth in years with Niño activity and the role of greenhouse gases in driving overall heat trends.[5][3]
If you’d like, I can pull the most current official ENSO advisories and summarize them for your location in São Paulo, Brazil, including anticipated patterns for the South American region through the next 6–12 months. I can also provide a brief, visualization-friendly timeline of past El Niño years and associated global temperature anomalies.