2026 Super El Niño Hits 2.6°C Above Normal, Outpacing 1997/98
Updated
Updated · IFLScience · Aug 7
2026 Super El Niño Hits 2.6°C Above Normal, Outpacing 1997/98
3 articles · Updated · IFLScience · Aug 7
Summary
Eastern Pacific temperatures reached 2.6°C above normal in early August, putting the still-young 2026 event firmly in “super El Niño” territory and ahead of the 1997/98 benchmark at the same point.
Anything above 2°C qualifies as a super El Niño, and scientists say the current surge is developing unusually fast; most models now point to a late-2026 peak that could become the strongest on record.
That strength could amplify global heat, disrupt rainfall, weaken monsoons and cut harvests across parts of Southeast Asia, India, southern Africa and the Amazon, while also raising risks of drought, flooding and coral bleaching.
Scientists say the event is hard to compare directly with 1997/98 because today’s warmer climate raises the baseline; every year since 2011 has been hotter than 1998, making this El Niño a test in largely uncharted conditions.