- A powerful El Nino has officially developed in the Pacific Ocean, with meteorologists warning it is poised to reach historic strength and intensify extreme weather events worldwide.
- This natural warming cycle is expected to exacerbate global temperatures, already elevated by fossil fuel emissions, and could supercharge severe weather patterns, potentially rivalling or surpassing the record-setting 1997 event.
- The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed the El Nino's existence, projecting a 63% likelihood it will become so intense by late autumn and early winter that it ranks among the largest recorded since 1950.
- The phenomenon will bring varied impacts globally, including increased Pacific hurricane activity, heavy rains and floods in parts of western South America, intense heatwaves in India, and drought and wildfires in Australia, while potentially dampening Atlantic hurricane season activity.
- Climate scientists forecast that 2027 could become the hottest year on record due to the lagging effects of this El Nino, which is expected to peak earlier than usual, with economists noting that above-normal temperatures can slow economic growth.
IN FULL
