Are we really headed for a ‘super’ El Niño? What the science says

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Wildfires ravaged forests in Brazil in 2024, in the wake of the last El Niño, when the country experienced a record drought.Credit: Sergio Lima/AFP via Getty

Headlines have been proclaiming that one of the strongest El Niño weather patterns in recent decades might be starting up later this year. If a big one kicks in, as forecasts currently suggest, it could bring floods, droughts and other weather extremes to many parts of the globe, as well as potentially boost 2027’s temperatures to record highs.

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