El Niño has become more intense over the last 40 years than the previous 1,000

A study reveals that El Niño events have become nearly 40% stronger in the past 40 years compared to the pre-industrial era. Researchers examined modern and ancient corals in the Galápagos Islands and found that El Niño events in the last 40 years were stronger than in any of the preceding 1,000 years. The study, published in the journal Science, suggests that the recent intensification of El Niño is not part of the natural variability of the last millennium and is likely related to global warming.

The researchers used coral cores to reconstruct past temperature patterns in the Galápagos, where El Niño has a significant impact. The data showed that strong El Niños have become more common in recent decades, while prior to that, they were less intense. The authors warn that as global temperatures continue to rise, "super El Niños" like the current one could become more frequent, leading to severe consequences such as droughts, floods, wildfires, and food insecurity.