NOAA Declares El Nino, 'Super' Event Possible
Global weather agencies officially declared El Nino conditions, with models showing a better-than-even chance of a 'super' El Nino that could make 2026-27 record-hot.
The Morning Brief Desk · June 12, 2026 · Based on reporting by Scientific American · Updated July 13, 2026
El Nino has officially arrived, NOAA scientists declared this week. Forecasters warn it could become one of the most severe events on record. El Nino brings unusually warm surface water to the eastern tropical Pacific. The pattern typically lasts nine to 12 months. Forecast models suggest a strong chance it intensifies into a so-called 'super' El Nino by winter.
The timing matters. El Nino releases stored ocean heat into the atmosphere, and scientists say it could tip 2026 toward a new record hot year. Past strong events brought drenching winter storms to California, drought to Australia and Southeast Asia, and disrupted harvests worldwide. One researcher warned the pattern will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. U.S. farmers, utilities, and disaster planners are already adjusting plans for the year ahead.
Sources
Scientific American — El Nino is here and could tip Earth to a new record hot year
Scientists have officially declared El Nino conditions, which could push global temperatures to a new record.
Fast Company — El Nino is here—and it will 'pour fuel on the fire of a warming world'
NOAA warns the newly arrived El Nino could become one of the most severe on record, amplifying extreme weather worldwide.
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