{
  "id": 13857077,
  "title": "EU monitor reports record El Nino temperature in key Pacific zone",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/eu-monitor-reports-record-el-nino-temperature-in-key-pacific-zone",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-12T02:42:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/12/eu-monitor-reports-record-el-nino-temperature-in-key-pacific-zone"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In September, a powerful El Nino event shattered a temperature record in a crucial Pacific zone, according to the European Union's climate monitor. This marks the second hottest September on record globally, with average sea surface temperatures climbing to 29.70C in the Nino3.4 monitoring region, surpassing previous strong El Nino episodes. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, which reported the record, cautioned it cannot definitively declare this El Nino the strongest on record, citing the influence of climate change on ocean temperatures. Despite this uncertainty, the current event's intensity is already exceptional, especially as it has not yet peaked. September's global average sea surface temperature hit a record high of 21.05C, surpassing the previous peak of 20.92C in September 2023. The world experienced its second hottest September overall, with surface air temperatures averaging 16.27C, 1.63C above the pre-industrial average. The Paris Agreement of 2015 aimed to keep global warming \"well below 2C\" above pre-industrial levels, with a target of 1.5C if possible. However, the UN declared in September that this ambitious goal would likely be missed within years. Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo warned that the world is \"in a new run of months above 1.5C,\" and a strong El Nino could persist into 2027. Mitigating the impacts of climate change hinges on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to shorten the \"overshoot\" period and restore temperatures to safer levels.",
  "summary": "Sea surface temperatures hit an 'all-time high' of 29.70C last month, surpassing peaks recorded during previous strong El Nino events.",
  "key_points": [
    "EU climate monitor records record El Nino temperature in Pacific zone.",
    "September 2023 sets new global record for hottest September at 21.05C.",
    "Strong El Nino may persist into 2027, risking 1.5C warming threshold."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "El Nino breaks Pacific temperature record as weather pattern intensifies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/el-nino-breaks-pacific-temperature-record-as-weather-pattern",
        "published": "2026-10-12T02:12:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "EU monitor reports record El Nino temperature in key Pacific zone",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/eu-monitor-reports-record-el-nino-temperature-in-key-pacific-zone-13861868",
        "published": "2026-10-12T02:42:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}