Doha: The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned today that the "El Ni±o" phenomenon is expected to intensify further during the August-October season, with the climate pattern likely to dominate global weather conditions, increasing the probability of above-average temperatures across many parts of the world and causing significant shifts in rainfall patterns.
According to Qatar News Agency, in its latest monthly Global Seasonal Climate Update, the WMO stated that alongside exceptionally high global ocean temperatures, El Ni±o is expected to have a growing influence on weather patterns in many regions over the coming months. This raises the likelihood of heatwaves, droughts, heavy rainfall, and other extreme weather events.
United Nations Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres commented on the latest outlook by stating that the strengthening El Ni±o is "adding fuel to a planet already on fire" and pushing the world into "uncharted territory." He highlighted that Pacific waters, which drive the phenomenon, "have never been this warm this early in an El Ni±o, and temperatures are still increasing."
Guterres emphasized that fossil fuels continue to intensify the climate crisis and called for urgent action to protect vulnerable communities and address its root causes. He warned that failure to act would expose people to increasingly severe climate-related risks.
El Ni±o is a naturally occurring climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It can temporarily raise global temperatures and disrupt normal weather patterns worldwide, increasing the risk of droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, heatwaves, and wildfires. Scientists have repeatedly warned that the impacts of El Ni±o are amplified by long-term human-induced climate change, underscoring the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources.