NOAA: Two-in-Three Chance El Niño Peaks as Historic 'Super' Event by Winter 2026

El Niño Forming Rapidly in Tropical Pacific

El Niño is forming in the tropical Pacific Ocean at an unusually fast pace.

As of mid-May 2026, sea surface temperatures in the key monitoring zone — called the Niño3.4 region — sit just below the 0.5°C above-average threshold that marks El Niño's official onset. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, that threshold will be crossed within weeks. That's a shift from last month, when NOAA's models favored neutral conditions through June.

NATHANIAL JOHNSON, a meteorologist at NOAA, called the pace of warming a "rare occurrence." Going from La Niña — the cooler counterpart — in winter to a potentially strong El Niño within a single year is uncommon.

Forecasters Align on Strong Event

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) released updated projections showing more than half of their forecast models with water temperatures in the Niño3.4 region exceeding 2.5°C above average by autumn. According to Johnson, anything above that mark would be a "historically strong event."

MetService meteorologist Ben Noll reported the ECMWF data shows temperatures potentially reaching 3°C above average by late 2026 — which would approach or surpass records set in 1877 and 2015.

A "super El Niño" threshold is defined as 2°C above average. The 2015-2016 event hit that mark and helped make 2016 the hottest year on record at that point. Scientists, including those at NOAA, are flagging 2027 as a candidate for the next record-breaking global temperature year.

NOAA puts the odds of El Niño persisting through winter at approximately two-in-three.

Three Major Agencies Aligned

NOAA, the ECMWF, and Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) are all pointing toward a strong event. The BoM uses a stricter criterion — requiring 0.8°C above average AND evidence of reversed trade winds — and they're still aligned with the other agencies. All three agencies' forecast models are converging, according to BBC Weather's Simon King.

Spring El Niño forecasts have historically been unreliable. The fact that three major agencies show confidence this early is significant.

Real-World Effects

Strong El Niño events produce droughts and heat waves in some regions — increasing wildfire danger and stressing water supplies — while delivering heavy rainfall in others. Agricultural production in affected regions takes direct hits, with food prices following.

El Niño also suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity, which benefits the U.S. East Coast and Gulf regions.

The humanitarian exposure is significant in parts of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, where populations depend on predictable rainfall for crops. The 1877 El Niño event killed an estimated 50 million people through famine.

El Niño is a natural climate cycle that has occurred throughout recorded history. Its effects will compound whatever baseline temperatures exist.

A potential historic weather event with direct consequences for U.S. agriculture, energy demand, wildfires, and flood damage demands attention from policymakers and the public alike.