El Niño conditions developing as UN warns of increased extreme weather risks
By Zoila Palma: The United Nations, through the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is warning governments and communities worldwide to prepare for the arrival of El Niño, a climate pattern that could intensify extreme weather and push global temperatures even higher in the coming months. Fueled by unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific, El […] The post El Niño conditions developing as UN warns of increased extreme weather risks appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
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By Zoila Palma: The United Nations, through the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), is warning governments and communities worldwide to prepare for the arrival of El Niño, a climate pattern that could intensify extreme weather and push global temperatures even higher in the coming months.
Fueled by unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific, El Niño conditions are now developing, with the WMO estimating an 80 percent likelihood of an event during June to August 2026 and more than a 90 percent chance that it will persist through November.
The WMO said warm ocean waters are driving the development of El Niño, with sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific nearing threshold levels and subsurface temperatures exceeding six degrees Celsius above average.
The organization warned that El Niño typically raises global temperatures and alters rainfall patterns, increasing the risk of drought, flooding and heatwaves.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, “We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event – which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the developing system as an urgent warning. “The science is clear: El Niño is arriving on our doorstep in the coming months with 90% certainty,” Guterres said. He added that El Niño conditions would “pour fuel on the fire of a warming world,” warning that climate impacts could spread farther and faster across borders.
The WMO stressed that advanced forecasting systems are helping countries prepare and that “time for informed decision-making, planning and preparedness is now.”
The organization also forecast above-average temperatures for nearly every region of the globe between June and August, increasing the risk of heat stress and worsening drought conditions where rainfall is limited.
According to the WMO, El Niño often brings drier and warmer weather to Central America and the Caribbean while increasing rainfall in other parts of the world.
The WMO highlighted five key messages on the developing El Niño: warm ocean waters are fueling its formation; El Niño typically raises temperatures and drives more extreme weather; above-average temperatures are forecast almost everywhere during the June-August period; advanced forecasts can help protect lives and livelihoods; and the time to prepare is now.
The post El Niño conditions developing as UN warns of increased extreme weather risks appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
