Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology warns that the current El Niño has already surpassed previous heat records, with Pacific sea‑surface temperatures rising more than 2 °C in just six months. Scientists say climate change has made such extreme events far more likely, and the United Nations’ meteorological agency predicts the storm will linger until early 2027, potentially wreaking havoc on global communities and economies. The report underscores the urgency of preparing for a prolonged period of intense heat and its cascading impacts on agriculture, infrastructure, and public health.
Bureau of Meteorology suggests El Niño has already broken records, with Pacific ocean temperature change exceeding 2C in six monthsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereThe growing El Niño weather phenomenon to Australia’s east is already breaking heat records, with forecasts showing it will likely easily surpass previous events, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, as seperate research suggested climate change had greatly shortened the odds of the event hitting record extremes.On Thursday the UN’s weather agency said the event in the Pacific was continuing to strengthen and would probably persist until early 2027, warning it had the “potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world”.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...
