Drought, floods and record heat: What El Nino could bring next
El Nino is gathering strength across the tropical Pacific, raising fears of an extraordinary period of extreme weather that could bring drought to some parts of the world, torrential rain to others and push global temperatures to new highs. Scientists say the 2026 event could become one of the strongest — potentially the strongest — in modern records. But the significance goes well beyond warmer…
El Nino, a naturally occurring climate cycle, is intensifying in the tropical Pacific, prompting concerns over extreme weather worldwide. Scientists predict this 2026 event could be one of the strongest in modern records, potentially the strongest. While the effects are far-reaching, they are not uniform. In some regions, El Nino brings hotter and drier conditions, while in others, it increases rainfall and flooding risks.
The Panama Canal is already experiencing the impacts of this drought-linked El Nino. With less rainfall in Central America, the canal's water supply is dwindling, causing the authority to reduce the number of ships it can accommodate. This disruption, affecting about five percent of global maritime trade and 40 percent of US container traffic, illustrates how quickly climate phenomena can become trade and supply-chain problems.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is bracing for a potentially damaging sequence of heavy rainfall followed by severe drought. The nation's environment minister warns that the country may face both challenges simultaneously, highlighting the unpredictable nature of El Nino's effects. The current El Nino is already pushing global temperatures to unprecedented levels. If this event combines with long-term warming from human-induced climate change, 2027 could become the hottest year ever recorded.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
