An intensifying El Nino set a temperature record in a key zone of the Pacific Ocean in September, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Monday 12 October.
Sea surface temperatures in the Nino3.4 monitoring region reached an all-time high of 29.70C, exceeding the peaks of the strong El Nino events of 1982/1983, 1997/1998 and 2015/2016, the service said.
Copernicus said it cannot yet say this is the strongest El Nino on record. Japan’s weather agency said on Friday that conditions had reached their strongest intensity on record, with temperatures 4C above normal in the monitoring area.
Global average sea surface temperature also hit a September record of 21.05C, above the previous high of 20.92C set in 2023. September was 1.63C hotter than the pre-industrial average, Copernicus said.
El Nino can shift rainfall patterns across the Indian Ocean region, increasing the risk of drought or flooding. Readers in Sri Lanka may wish to follow forecasts from the Department of Meteorology.
Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said the current run of months above 1.5C is likely to last into 2027. The event has not yet reached its expected peak later this year.
