SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
El Niño Reaches Record Strength, Warns of Potential Global Impacts
WHY IT MATTERS
The developing El Niño event has the potential to cause widespread impacts, including famines and significant climate changes, which could affect millions of people globally.
What happened
A developing El Niño event has surpassed previous records, with climate scientist James Hansen describing it as 'off the charts. ' The event, which occurs when warm surface waters spread across the tropical Pacific Ocean, is expected to have significant global climate influences.
While there is disagreement on the exact measure of the event, experts agree that it will soon exceed previous events on all measures.
The potential impacts of the event are still being assessed, but it is expected to be one of the largest ever recorded.
PRIMARY SOURCES
‘Off the charts’ El Niño is already the strongest since records began
New Scientist · Michael Le Page · Discovery and factual synthesis only; publisher copyright and subscription terms apply