The developing El Niño in the Pacific surpassed all previous records on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, becoming the strongest event in the observational record, according to the Met Office, the United Kingdom’s weather service.

Daily sea surface temperatures in the central equatorial Pacific were 3.05 °C above average on 19 September, exceeding the previous record of 3.02 °C set during the 2015 El Niño, per BBC Weather. The peak is not expected until later in 2026, and longer-term measures have not yet hit record levels. Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range prediction at the Met Office, said expected effects of the event are already being felt worldwide. Among them, the British service cites India’s monsoon running 15% below normal through 22 September and the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with no hurricane formed so far.