Researchers are studying the connection between El Niño and climate change. A permanent weather phenomenon could worsen the crisis.
El Niño, which has its counterpart in La Niña, has resulted in extreme weather and temperatures in many parts of the world in recent months. According to forecasts by UN experts, El Niño will cause record temperatures until May. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that El Niño has been active since June 2023, reached its peak in December. Although it is now slowly easing, its effects will be felt for several months to come. The WMO expects “above average temperatures” over “almost all land areas” on earth by May. Last year was the hottest since weather records began at the end of the 20th century. Since El Niño contributed at least in part to climate change, experts believe it is the “main culprit’” for the global warming crisis. It is therefore not surprising that new escalations of the climate crisis occur particularly during El Niño phases.