LONDON, 21st August, 2026 (WAM) -- The El Niño event that is developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest in living memory, the UK Met Office has warned.
The powerful natural climate phenomenon pushes up global temperatures and can increase the risks of extreme weather.
Added to the effects of human-induced climate change, the Met Office is warning that it is "very likely" to mean 2027 is the hottest year on record globally.
There is growing evidence that weather patterns around the world are already being affected, with below-average monsoon rains in India and suppressed hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.
El Niño could put the UK at greater risk of a wet, stormy autumn with signs of a very unsettled spell already showing up in long-range forecasts.
"We should be clear that this is an unprecedented event," said Prof Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the UK Met Office.
"I have never seen an El Niño signal this intense in our forecasts."
There is no clear evidence that climate change is making El Niño events more likely, but its weather impacts are likely to be more extreme in a warming world.