Prepare for imminent return of El Niño, UN warns The United Nations has warned of El Niño’s imminent return, with an 80% chance of formation before September, predicting supercharged weather extremes. This natural weather pattern, which raises global temperatures, is expected to exacerbate droughts and heavy rainfall in various regions. The UN Secretary-General emphasized the need for urgent climate action, including ending fossil fuel reliance and implementing early-warning systems.

• El Niño has an 80% chance of forming before September and a 90% chance before November.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) projects El Niño to be at least moderate in strength, possibly strong.
• El Niño conditions are expected to worsen global warming and lead to extreme weather events, including increased rainfall and drought.
• Specific regions are associated with heavier rain (South America, southern US, Horn of Africa, central Asia) or drier conditions (Central America, northern South America, Caribbean, Australia, Indonesia, parts of south Asia).
• El Niño can influence hurricane formation in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
• The UN urges immediate climate action, focusing on ending fossil fuel dependency, accelerating renewables, and enhancing early-warning systems.