El Niño Could Be Strongest on Record: How 2026 Compares
In an update this week federal forecasters said there was a high chance for a historically strong El Niño event.
Federal forecasters predict that the upcoming El Niño in 2026–27 could be the strongest on record, with a greater than 90% chance of reaching "very strong" intensity during the fall and winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center announced a 69% likelihood that conditions between October and December will be "historic," potentially surpassing all recorded El Niño events since 1950.
While El Niño typically brings wetter conditions to the southern United States, its impacts can vary significantly, as demonstrated by the 2015–16 event, which was as potent as historic predecessors and led to severe droughts, record hurricane activity, and atmospheric carbon dioxide spikes.
Brief written by urgent.news from Newsweek's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
