The global scientific community has raised its level of concern due to an emerging climatic phenomenon that could drastically transform international weather conditions in the coming months. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has reported on the initial development of a climatic event known as “Super El Niño“ in the tropical Pacific, which is showing signs of accelerated intensification.
Impact of the Super El Niño: Extreme Heat Threatens the World
Advanced meteorological models project a sustained and significant increase in water temperatures in critical regions of the central and eastern Pacific, estimating that these could exceed 2 °C above normal values. This thermal increase could alter the atmospheric cycle on an unprecedented scale.
According to the WMO, the Super El Niño could intensify even further in July, potentially causing catastrophic consequences. This natural phenomenon, known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is one of the main drivers of global climatic variations, alternating between phases of warming and cooling due to the trade winds.
Under standard conditions, these winds move warm water westward, allowing cold currents to rise along the South American coasts. However, the current weakening of these winds is causing an unprecedented heat accumulation in the equatorial Pacific.
The WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo, has emphasized that the extent of this phenomenon will increase the likelihood of prolonged droughts, torrential rains, and extreme heat waves in various ecosystems, both terrestrial and marine.
This climatic pattern coincides with a pre-existing context of global warming, where regions like the equatorial Atlantic are already recording temperatures well above the historical average.
The peak of the phenomenon generally occurs between November and February, and it is during the following year that its influence is most intensely felt on the global thermometer. The WMO warns of a high probability of experiencing unusually high temperatures in most populated areas of the planet, located between 60° latitude north and south.
In Europe, especially, this announcement has come at a time of extreme climatic vulnerability. The continent has recorded record temperatures, such as in the United Kingdom, where June was the hottest month on record, with peaks of 37.3 °C in Suffolk and an unprecedented monthly average of 17.1 °C.
France has also experienced deadly heat waves that have been officially linked to more than 1,300 deaths during the season. Although the current warm air masses in Europe were not directly caused by El Niño, the additional energy this phenomenon will bring to the atmosphere will exacerbate existing conditions.
It is anticipated that the Super El Niño, combined with a global increase of 1.4 °C, will raise temperatures across almost the entire planet in the coming months. In northern Europe, the forecast includes a drastic decrease in precipitation and even hotter summers between 2026 and 2027, followed by a greater risk of extreme cold in the subsequent winters.
