KATHMANDU: A new El Niño climate pattern could emerge within weeks and intensify through 2026, potentially becoming one of the strongest on record, according to the United Nations (UN) weather agency. Scientists have detected a vast mass of unusually warm water moving beneath the Pacific Ocean, a key indicator of a powerful El Niño event.

The phenomenon is expected to amplify extreme weather worldwide, increasing the risk of droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, and flooding across multiple regions. It could also weaken the Indian monsoon and disrupt agricultural production, trade, and food supplies.

Climate experts warn that El Niño’s effects will be magnified by human-driven global warming, raising the likelihood that 2027 could become the hottest year ever recorded and bringing far-reaching economic and environmental consequences.