Record El Nino Could Intensify Extreme Weather and Make 2027 Hottest Year

This year's El Nino is on track to become the strongest on record, according to experts. The warming event in the tropical Pacific could intensify extreme weather across the globe and push 2027 to unprecedented global temperatures.

El Nino is the warming phase of a natural cycle called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It occurs when trade winds that normally blow from east to west ease, allowing warm water that typically accumulates in the western Pacific to shift eastward and rise to the surface. When these warmer-than-average surface temperatures persist for months, they lead to more storms and cloud formation.

The current El Nino is occurring on top of long-term human-caused climate change. Experts say this combination offers a glimpse of the heat levels the world could expect by the late 2030s.