UN Warns "Very Strong" El Nino to Last Until February 2027

The United Nations' weather agency warned Thursday that El Nino is forecast to become the strongest in four decades of comparable records.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated there is a 100% likelihood that El Nino will continue through February 2027. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo and WMO Chief of climate prediction section Wilfran Moufouma-Okia attended a press conference. El Nino has strengthened sharply across the tropical Pacific and is expected to become a very strong event later this year.

The UN chief said the world was entering a danger zone. El Nino is increasing the risks of extreme heat, drought, and floods globally. Worldwide shipping repercussions are expected as El Nino chokes the Panama Canal. In Kenya, 100,000 households in Nairobi are expected to be affected, and schools are ruled out as shelters for internally displaced persons, with churches and mosques to be used instead.

Experts at a national forecast center explained the record intensity of El Nino this summer and how to respond. El Nino is a natural climate phenomenon, not caused by climate change, but scientists expect it to exacerbate global warming.