El Niño season predicted to start as early as next month

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an El Niño episode is expected to develop from mid-2026, with an impact on global temperatures and precipitation. The latest monthly global seasonal climate update from WMO signals a clear change in the equatorial Pacific: sea surface temperatures are rising rapidly, pointing to a likely return of El Niño conditions as early as May-July 2026. The forecast indicates that there is a “near global dominance of above-normal land surface temperatures” over the next three months, as well as regional variations in precipitation patterns.