El Nino reaches super status: Where will it bring rain, drought and heat?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that a powerful El Nino is developing in the Pacific and could become one of the strongest on record. The article cites data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), released Sept. 14, 2026, saying the warming pattern has passed the 2C threshold that forecasters use to describe a very strong, or “super,” El Nino. NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization say the event began forming in June 2026, is likely to peak in early 2027, and may last into the March-May 2027 period.

The reported impacts vary by region. Al Jazeera says heavier rain is expected in parts of East Africa, South America and the southern United States, while drier conditions are likely in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and southern Africa. The article highlights flood risk in East Africa, wildfire concerns in Indonesia and Australia, and below-normal rainfall in parts of India, Pakistan and southern Africa. It also notes that El Nino can reduce agricultural output in rain-fed farming areas, with the World Food Programme warning that millions more people could face acute hunger if dry conditions persist.

The story adds that El Nino usually raises global temperatures, with the biggest warming effects often appearing the following year. It also discusses possible snowfall changes in North America, the chance of a quieter Atlantic hurricane season, and the limits of region-by-region forecasting. Al Jazeera quotes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a WMO statement saying the planet is entering “uncharted waters,” while stressing that local impacts still depend on other climate factors.