Models suggest amplitude of El Niño in 2026 'as high or higher than any event in last century'

Article excerpt

Climate models project that El Niño conditions in 2026 could reach unprecedented intensity, matching or exceeding the strongest events recorded over the past hundred years. Paul Roundy, an atmospheric scientist at SUNY Albany, tells France 24 that tracking warm water patterns in the Pacific suggests the phenomenon's amplitude next year may rival the devastating 1997, 98 El Niño, one of the strongest on record. The forecast carries significant implications for global weather patterns, agricultural output, and extreme weather risk across vulnerable regions.