Beyza Binnur Donmez
15 April 2026•Update: 15 April 2026
Meteo-France said a new El Nino event is likely to begin in the summer and could contribute to unprecedented global temperatures in 2026-2027.
"It is expected to expand by the end of summer 2026 to peak at the end of the year," Meteo-France said Tuesday in a statement.
It underscored that some seasonal forecast models suggest the event could become a "super El Nino," with unusually high sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
A so-called super El Nino generally refers to episodes in which ocean temperature anomalies exceed 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F), as seen during the 1997-1998 and 2015-2016 events.
Meteo-France said it remains too early to confirm whether that threshold will be reached, but noted that current models point to a continued warming trend in the Pacific through spring and summer.
The weather agency warned that a strong El Nino, combined with long-term warming caused by human activity, could push global temperatures "close to or above" record levels in 2024.
El Nino is a natural climate pattern that typically occurs every two to seven years and can influence weather worldwide, often bringing wetter conditions to some regions and drought to others.
