{
  "id": 12949663,
  "title": "EXTREME WEATHER WOES: El Niño here until at least February as sea surface temperatures hit record highs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/extreme-weather-woes-el-nino-here-until-at-least-february-as-sea",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-08T20:48:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-08-el-nino/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "El Niño, a powerful weather phenomenon, is set to persist until at least February 2027, with sea surface temperatures hitting record highs. This can potentially lead to drought conditions in South Africa and neighboring countries, including Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts a near-100% chance of El Niño persisting through February, with the anomaly reaching around +3.7°C, making it the strongest since at least 1950. While South Africa's soil moisture and dam levels are currently favorable, food assistance needs in the region are expected to peak from November 2027 to March 2028 due to the anticipated drought.",
  "summary": "El Niño is triggered by a warming of surface sea temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific beyond certain thresholds and, in a flashing red light, those are off the charts.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}