El Niño Strengthens as Pacific and Global Ocean Temperatures Reach September Records
Science & ClimateWell-covered
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The Facts
- Copernicus said El Niño conditions continued to strengthen in the equatorial Pacific.
- Niño 3.4 sea-surface temperatures reached 29.70°C in September, a record for the monitoring region.
- Global nonpolar ocean surface temperature averaged 21.05°C in September, the highest recorded for that month.
- El Niño warms surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.
- El Niño can alter weather patterns and increase drought and flooding risks in different regions.
- Forecasters expect El Niño conditions to intensify further in coming months.
- Copernicus said it was not yet possible to determine whether this El Niño would be the strongest recorded.
Context
What is El Niño?
El Niño is the warming phase of a natural climate cycle, marked by warmer surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. Times of India RTE.ie Le Dauphiné Libéré
Why can El Niño affect weather beyond the Pacific?
Warmer tropical Pacific waters can shift weather patterns, raising the risk of drought in some places and heavier rain or flooding in others. 20 Minuten RTE.ie ND
Has this El Niño already set a record?
Copernicus reported a record September sea-surface temperature of 29.70°C in the Niño 3.4 monitoring region, but said the episode's ultimate ranking remains uncertain. Franceinfo Kronen Zeitung RTE.ie
Where Left and Right agree
Left and right largely agree on this one.
- What both sides accept
- Niño 3.4 temperatures hit a record 29.70°C and conditions are expected to intensify, carrying real drought and flooding risks even before any 'strongest ever' ranking is confirmed.
- Where Left and Right differ in emphasis
- The left and the right agree: prepare for El Niño now. They part on how far that preparation should reach beyond confirmed measurements.
- Watch for
- DOST-Pagasa's Mindanao assessment projects this El Niño's peak toward the end of 2026, a forecast date that would let both sides judge whether intensification matched the warnings.Sun.Star Network Online
How left and right read it
Left says
Precaution should not wait for a final ranking. Because El Niño can shift weather patterns and raise drought and flooding risks in different regions, and forecasters expect these conditions to intensify further, the people least able to absorb a failed harvest or a flooded home are already exposed — even though Copernicus says it cannot yet call this the strongest on record. Cut emissions, and fund protection now.
Right says
Honest forecasting earns trust precisely when it declines to overclaim, and Copernicus does exactly that: it reports a record 29.70°C in the Niño 3.4 region yet says plainly it cannot determine whether this El Niño will be the strongest recorded. Because conditions are expected to intensify and can raise drought and flooding risks, preparation should follow the measurements we actually have — not conclusions that run ahead of them.
A record ocean temperature already justifies preparing for drought and flooding. The real question is how far that preparation should reach.
The receipts — 98 sources
Independent coverage (98)
Kronen ZeitungWassertemperaturen im Pazifik auf Rekordniveau
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tportal.hrRujan 2026. bio je drugi najtopliji u povijesti: 'Premašivan...
RTL.frUne "intensité exceptionnelle" : un phénomène El Niño partic...
Le Dauphiné LibéréClimat. Les océans à 21,05°C en septembre, un niveau jamais ...
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ВзглядТемпература мирового океана побила исторический рекорд
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AGISettembre tra i più caldi di sempre. Superata soglia di 1,5 ...
RTL InfoLe mois de septembre a été le deuxième mois le plus chaud ja...
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RTE.ieEl Niño breaks temperature record in key area of Pacific
RTBFLe deuxième mois de septembre le plus chaud jamais enregistr...
POLITIKO Mindanao - POLITIKO News - MindanaoMayor Darwin Estrañero issues order creating Tabuk City El N...
servizitelevideo.rai.itTelevideo - Rai
SudOuest.frClimat : d'une intensité exceptionnelle, le phénomène El Niñ...
TF1 INFOPhénomène El Niño : des températures inédites dans le Pacifi...
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SkyClima, Copernicus: settembre 2026 il secondo più caldo mai r...
Notizie GeopoliticheEl Niño porta il Pacifico al valore più alto mai misurato, 2...
rsiEl Niño sempre più intenso e imprevedibile: lo dicono i cora...
Yahoo NewsCes chiffres sur El Niño confirment les craintes des climato...
ФедералПрессЭль-Ниньо и Сибирь: чего ждать новосибирцам от самого мощног...
Affari ItalianiCopernicus, settembre 2026 è il secondo più caldo di sempre
FranceinfoLe phénomène El Niño a entraîné des records de température d...
LaProvence.comEl Niño : près de 30°C ! Une température record dans la zone...
CNN PortugalSetembro foi o segundo mais quente de sempre. Europa registo...
Notícias ao MinutoSetembro foi o 2.º mais quente de sempre (temperaturas recor...
Sarda News - Notizie in SardegnaSettembre 2026 il secondo più caldo di sempre, valori record...
Europe 1Un phénomène météorologique exceptionnel entraîne des tempér...
7sur7Un El Niño exceptionnel entraîne des températures inédites d...
Nice-MatinD'une intensité " exceptionnelle ", le phénomène météorologi...
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ФедералПрессДальний Восток накроет рекордное Эль-Ниньо: климатологи пред...
BFMTVUn El Niño d'une "intensité exceptionnelle" entraîne des tem...
infos.rtl.luClimat: Un El Niño exceptionnel entraîne des températures in...
Rai newsCopernicus, il secondo settembre più caldo mai registrato: s...
Bayerischer RundfunkStarker El Niño: Was heißt das fürs Wetter in Deutschland?
France 24Plus de 29 °C : El Niño entraîne des températures inédites d...
Le Figaro.frUn "El Niño" exceptionnel entraîne des températures inédites...
ANSA.itCopernicus, nel 2026 il secondo settembre più caldo mai regi...
Irish ExaminerSecond-hottest September ever as global temperature rises co...
Jornal O SulEl Niño muda circulação atmosférica e interfere nas chuvas, ...
Bloomberg BusinessA Rare 'Super' El Niño Is Looking More Likely. Here's What t...
Revista SÁBADOSetembro foi o segundo mais quente de sempre
Kenya TodayKenya Meteorological Service urges public to stop equating E...
agroinsurance.comAgroinsurance
Jornal Grande Bahia (JGB)El Niño pode registrar aquecimento recorde no Pacífico e ele...
360°Супер-Эль-Ниньо грозит побить рекордную температуру 1982-198...
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The ProvinceCould B.C. be headed for a record-breaking mild winter?
Sun.Star Network OnlineDavao, Soccsksargen to experience month-long dry days until ...
CNN BrasilAnálise: Super "Super El Niño" testa economia em 2027 | Blog...
The Times of IndiaRainfall varied widely in El Nino years in T
Jornal Grande Bahia (JGB)El Niño deve atingir força máxima em dezembro e pode estar e...
Passauer Neue PresseSuper-El-Niño 2026: Experten warnen vor historischem Ereigni...
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Olhar Digital - O futuro passa primeiro aquiSuper El Niño bate recorde e deve se intensificar até dezemb...
Oman ObserverIncreased rainfall in September-May period linked to El Niño
R7 NotíciasSeis estados têm alerta laranja para tempestades; outros 16 ...
Otkrito.lvООН предупредила о мощнейшем Эль-Ниньо - он достигнет пика в...
Agência GBC - Aqui tem notícia!Super El Niño ganha força e pode provocar calor histórico no...
NDPico do El Niño: nova previsão da ONU aponta quando fenômeno...
JornalCanaIntensidade do El Niño pode se manter entre forte e muito fo...
MixnewsКогда наступит пик явления Эль-Ниньо и когда закончится это ...
Spiegel OnlineMeinung: Klimakrise: El Niño treibt Weltmeere auf Rekordhitz...
ERRВМО: Эль-Ниньо сохранится до февраля и может войти в число с...
Daswetter.com | MeteoredNeue, aktualisierte El-Niño-Prognose: "Ein in seiner Intensi...
Daswetter.com | MeteoredDer Pazifik bricht einen Rekord: Die Meerestemperatur hat in...
Agência GBC - Aqui tem notícia!Super El Niño pode trazer seis ondas de calor ao Brasil até ...
euronewsEl Niño: quando atinge o pico e termina, cronologia completa
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