El Niño Sets Pacific Sea-Surface Records Before December Peak — SkimNews
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- Australia's Bureau of Meteorology reports that average weekly sea-surface temperatures in the central Pacific have reached their highest level on record, weeks before the event's expected December peak.
- September daily sea-surface temperatures in the central-eastern Pacific set a new record, exceeding the previous mark from the strong 2015 El Niño.
- Parts of the tropical Pacific recorded temperatures above 30°C for the first time on record, alongside record sea-surface temperature anomalies and exceptional subsurface warmth.
- Dr Zeke Hausfather of Berkeley Earth called the event 'unprecedented in the historical record,' saying latest projections are 'astonishing' and likely to set new records 'by a remarkable amount.'
- Australian and US forecasters are now using a Relative Ocean El Niño Index (RONI) to strip out long-term human-caused ocean warming, enabling fairer comparisons to past El Niño events.
- The World Meteorological Organization reports drought and flood-related disruption already hitting several regions, with growing food-security concerns in parts of East Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
- ECMWF and NOAA forecast a December peak, with the event expected to help make 2026 one of the warmest years on record and unusually high global temperatures likely continuing into 2027.
Why it matters: The combination of record Pacific warmth on top of a human-warmed ocean baseline means 2026 is on track to be one of the warmest years on record, with food security already deteriorating in East Africa and the Asia-Pacific — a doubled burden for disaster agencies and farmers in regions where El Niño's footprint historically lands hardest.
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