El Niño becomes strongest on record weeks before expected peak

Developing El Niño has reached unprecedented levels of strength. With daily sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean now exceeding previous records by 0.03C, according to scientists monitoring the phenomenon.

The current El Niño is expected to peak later this year, but its impact is already being felt worldwide.

Experts at the Met Office have been warning of the potential for an unprecedented El Niño event for months. And the evidence is now mounting. The fact that this El Niño has already surpassed previous records.

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With several weeks to go before it peaks later this year, highlights the magnitude of this event.

Scientists are still assessing the full extent of the impacts, but they are already observing the expected effects globally. The UK is thousands of miles from the tropical Pacific. Yet it is expected to experience wet and stormy conditions during the late autumn and early winter.

El Niño has the potential to significantly disrupt global weather patterns. The Met Office has reported that many of the expected impacts are already being felt. This includes below-average monsoon rainfall in India and reduced hurricane activity in the Atlantic.

Coastal regions of Ecuador, Peru, and the southern USA are also at increased risk of flooding.

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Every El Niño is unique, and it's impossible to predict with certainty how this event will unfold. While the unprecedented strength of this El Niño does not necessarily mean it will have unprecedented impacts on the weather, the current evidence suggests that it will have significant effects globally.

Statistics from the India Meteorological Department show that, until 22 September, the southwest monsoon had brought 15% less rain than normal. The winter of 2015 and 2016, which coincided with a very strong El Niño, brought a succession of major storms that delivered what experts at the time described as some of the most extreme flooding on record.

Monitoring the impacts of El Niño is a complex task, and it's essential to consider the many variables at play. However, the current evidence suggests that this El Niño will have far-reaching consequences for global weather patterns.