UN Issues Sobering Warning About Looming El Niño

The United Nations has warned governments and communities to prepare for the likely return of El Niño in 2026, a natural climate pattern that can push global temperatures higher and reshape rainfall across large parts of the world. The warning was issued through the World Meteorological Organization, which says the odds of El Niño forming are now high.

The alert is serious because El Niño does not arrive in an empty climate system. It comes on top of human-driven global warming, meaning heatwaves, droughts, heavy rain and other extremes can become more damaging when the pattern develops. WMO says there is an 80% likelihood of El Niño during June–August 2026, with probabilities near or above 90% for it to continue until at least November.