WMO warns 'very strong' El Nino may last until February 2027

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that a "very strong" El Nino event, intensifying in the central-eastern Pacific Ocean, is likely to persist until February 2027, causing major shifts in global temperature and rainfall patterns. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo stated the El Nino is firmly established and expected to strengthen further, potentially causing severe impacts on people and economies worldwide, exacerbating existing droughts and floods. She noted the agency has mobilized an unprecedented coalition with national weather services to protect lives and livelihoods. El Nino, a natural phenomenon where Pacific surface waters warm abnormally, has already contributed to record heat in August and a severe summer in Europe. The WMO urges countries to prepare for extreme weather, while India's monsoon largely escaped major impacts, though a positive Indian Ocean Dipole may moderate effects.