United Nations Warns Supersized El Niño Will Persist Until 2027

The United Nations warned Thursday that a supersized El Niño climate event is intensifying and will persist until February 2027. The phenomenon is expected to cause widespread floods, droughts, and extreme heat, potentially delivering a massive blow to global economies and markets.

Immediate impacts are most severe in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific regions. Reported disruptions include crop losses in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, wildfires in Indonesia, and a decline in anchovy fishing in Peru. The UN warns the event will disrupt global commodities, including cocoa, coffee, corn, and energy, while unpredictably affecting wind, solar, and hydropower generation.

Data from the World Meteorological Organization shows sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific reached more than 2 degrees Celsius above normal in July, with subsurface temperatures exceeding 8 degrees Celsius above average. Secretary General António Guterres characterized the world as being in a danger zone of extreme weather, stating that the race is now between rising risks and the commitment to take climate action.