Climatologists warn that 2026 could become the warmest year on record, with 2027 likely to surpass even this record. This information is being shared by leading scientists as the so-called super El Niño approaches — an especially powerful phase of the well-known climate phenomenon.
This is reported by Finway
Super El Niño: Mechanisms and Climate Consequences
According to experts, super El Niño is an unofficial term used to describe an extremely intense manifestation of cyclical warming of surface waters in the central and eastern parts of the Pacific Ocean. During such periods, water temperatures can rise by 2°C or more, leading to a significant release of heat into the atmosphere. This phenomenon affects weather worldwide, provoking extreme temperatures, droughts, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
Scientists emphasize that the frequency and intensity of El Niño episodes are increasing due to climate change. In recent decades, the strongest outbreaks were recorded in 1982–1983, 1997–1998, and 2015–2016, when damages to the global economy reached trillions of dollars due to crop failures and natural disasters.
Weather Forecast for 2026–2027 and New Climate Records
Experts assert that in 2026, the average temperature on the planet could exceed the previous record set in 2024, when global warming first reached 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It is expected that the temperature in 2026 will be 0.06°C higher than two years ago, and 2027 will be even hotter.
“This range is broad enough for us to predict that 2026 will be the warmest. Of course, 2027 will be even hotter,” they say.
Currently, global warming is somewhat tempered by the La Niña phenomenon, which cools the planet. However, a transition to a strong phase of El Niño is possible in the coming months, as indicated by the latest report from the World Meteorological Organization. Some researchers point out that the Earth may enter the most powerful El Niño cycle in the last 140 years, significantly raising the annual average temperature.
According to climatologists’ analysis, in 2024, the average temperature was 0.11°C higher than in 2023. If 2026 exceeds 2023 by 0.17°C, it would mean breaking the global record by 0.06°C. At the same time, scientists warn that current assessments of global warming risks may be underestimated due to the underestimation of greenhouse gases’ impact on accelerating climate change.
If forecasts come to fruition, countries in Europe, including Ukraine, may experience one of the hottest summers in history, and the consequences in the form of intensified extreme weather events — strong winds, sudden cold snaps, and heavy rains — will become even more pronounced.