El Niño Set To Be ‘Strongest in Living Memory’, Says UK Met Office
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) | August 21, 2026 | 05:45 PM
LONDON (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 21st Aug, 2026) The El Niño event that is developing over the Pacific Ocean is poised to be the most intense in recorded history, according to the UK Met Office. This powerful natural climate phenomenon raises global temperatures and amplifies the risks of extreme weather events.
Compounding the effects of human-induced climate change, the Met Office predicts it is "very likely" that 2027 will be the hottest year on record globally. Evidence indicates that weather patterns worldwide are already being disrupted, featuring below-average monsoon rains in India and reduced hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.
El Niño could bring the UK greater risk of a wet and stormy autumn, with early signs of turbulent weather already evident in long-range forecasts.
"Let me be clear: this is an unprecedented event," stated Prof. Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the UK Met Office. "I’ve never seen an El Niño signal this intense in our forecasts."
While there’s no definitive proof that climate change increases the likelihood of El Niño events, its weather impacts are expected to be more severe in a warming world.
