UN raises alarm as intensifying El Niño threatens more ‘extreme weather events’

A warning has been issued by the United Nations’ weather watchdog urging governments and humanitarian organizations to fortify against harsh meteorological phenomena including heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfall due to the El Niño atmospheric phenomenon.

According to a statement released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), EI Niño conditions are forecasted to intensify between July and September.

In this connection, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said: “E1 Nino conditions are already under way and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event as accurately anticipated by WMO forecasts.”

“ This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions of the world.”

El Niño is not only the primary driver of our weather patterns but a continent also surrounded by three oceans.

The Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean both play a significant role in influencing weather, and they are shifting the balance in favor of rainfall. Earlier, this also influenced cloud formation ultimately leading to warmer daytime temperatures across southern Australia.

El Niño is primarily a climate phenomenon characterized by warming sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It is crucial to note that such events commonly occur every two to seven years and commonly last between nine and 12 months.

The last El Niño played a role in driving global ocean temperatures to hit a new high in June; moreover the last El Niño contributed to making 2024 the second-hottest year on record and 2024, pushing temperatures well above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline.