oceans

The United Nations has warned that the El Niño weather pattern is expected to reach its peak intensity in December. The climate phenomenon, which warms Pacific Ocean waters, is linked to droughts, floods and record temperatures across many regions. The warning has drawn wide attention as governments prepare for extreme weather and humanitarian impacts in the coming months.

A powerful El Niño event is being linked to a run of extreme weather across the globe, including heatwaves, flooding and droughts. Scientists point to the super-strength of the ocean warming pattern in the Pacific as a driver of recent severe conditions, with meteorologists warning that its impacts could persist and disrupt weather, agriculture and communities in multiple regions.

A storm developing over the Pacific Ocean is forecast to intensify rapidly and could rank among the most powerful tropical systems on the planet in 2024. Meteorologists are tracking its path as it strengthens, with forecasts suggesting exceptionally high winds at peak intensity. Attention is on where the storm will head and how severe its impact could be for islands or coastlines in its track.

Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified to the highest storm category, with scientists attributing the explosive strengthening to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon. El País reports that warm ocean conditions linked to both drivers fueled the hurricane's abrupt escalation, underscoring how warming seas are producing more intense and rapidly developing tropical storms in the Pacific.

The UN estimates a near-100% probability that the current El Nino conditions will persist through February 2027, according to a WION news report. El Nino, the warming of Pacific Ocean surface waters, is linked to droughts, floods and heatwaves worldwide, and a prolonged episode could affect weather patterns, agriculture and food security across multiple continents.

Experts say El Niño conditions helped a tropical storm intensify into a Category 5 hurricane within just 24 hours, an unusually rapid escalation. Meteorologists point to warm ocean waters and favourable atmospheric conditions associated with the climate pattern as drivers of the explosive strengthening, highlighting growing concerns about rapid-intensification events in a warming climate.

Sixteen people were rescued from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Details about the condition of those rescued, their nationality, and the circumstances that left them adrift at sea have not been released. The operation involved coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities.

A new study suggests the Atlantic Ocean's major current system can recover after severe weakening caused by climate change. The findings offer some reassurance about the long-term fate of the circulation, which helps regulate weather patterns on both sides of the ocean. Researchers and commentators are weighing what the recovery potential means for projections of regional climate shifts.

Weather coverage is examining whether a strong El Nino effect could push 2027 to become the hottest year on record. The reports link the warming of Pacific Ocean surface temperatures to rising global temperatures, and question how the climate pattern will shape weather in the years ahead. Discussions centre on what the forecast means for rainfall, heatwaves and overall climate trends.

Scientists and commentators are highlighting an El Niño event described as unlike any previously recorded. The claim, widely shared online, points to abnormal ocean temperature patterns and associated extreme weather, from heatwaves to storms, affecting regions worldwide. Discussions focus on how climate change may be intensifying El Niño cycles and what this means for global weather in the months ahead.

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara are examining 2026's record-breaking El Niño, explaining what drove the event and its consequences worldwide. The episode is described as the strongest of its kind on record, with analysis focused on its causes, impacts on weather patterns, oceans and communities, and what it signals for a warming climate and future extreme events.

SpaceX's Crew-12 mission is returning to Earth, with French astronaut Sophie Adenot among the crew splashing down in the ocean. A live broadcast of the crewed capsule's amerrissage is drawing large audiences, particularly in France, where Adenot's homecoming is being closely followed.

Hurricane Polo intensified in the eastern Pacific, and an analysis by the World Weather Attribution initiative found that the effect of climate change on the storm's strengthening was at least as large as that of El Niño conditions. The finding adds to debate over how warming oceans are amplifying tropical cyclones.

A new study says Hurricane Polo was strengthened by a combination of climate change and El Niño conditions, with human-caused warming playing the larger role in intensifying the storm. Researchers point to warmer ocean waters as the key driver behind the hurricane's increased strength.

Hurricane Polo has intensified to become one of the strongest storms ever recorded, with forecasters linking its unusual strength to El Niño conditions in the Pacific. Warm ocean waters associated with the climate pattern are seen as a key driver behind the storm's rapid strengthening, drawing widespread attention to El Niño's role in extreme weather this season.

A new study concludes that Hurricane Polo was significantly strengthened by the combined effects of climate change and the El Niño pattern. Researchers say warmer ocean conditions linked to both phenomena gave the storm additional energy, a pattern consistent with broader findings that rising sea temperatures are intensifying tropical cyclones. The findings are drawing attention among climate and weather watchers.

A new study suggests the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, a major ocean current system that helps regulate the climate, could recover if global temperatures were to cool. The finding offers a note of optimism amid warnings the current is weakening, though it hinges on reversing warming rather than mitigation alone. Researchers say the result underscores how closely the current's strength is tied to global temperature levels.

The 2023-24 El Niño is described as record-shattering, with analysis of its wide-ranging effects on global temperatures, weather patterns and ecosystems. The event has driven exceptional ocean warming in the tropical Pacific, contributing to record global heat, shifts in rainfall, droughts and flooding in various regions, and stress on fisheries and agriculture. Commentators are weighing how much of the recent temperature surge should be attributed to El Niño versus longer-term climate change.

A new study concludes that global warming played a larger role than El Niño in intensifying Hurricane Polo in the eastern Pacific. The findings, picked up by outlets across the United States, suggest human-caused warming turbocharged the storm beyond what natural climate patterns alone would have produced. The research adds to a growing body of work examining how rising ocean temperatures are strengthening tropical cyclones.

The eastern Pacific hurricane region has set a record for the number of large, long-lasting storms, and forecasters credit El Niño conditions. The climate pattern, marked by warmer-than-usual ocean waters, is fueling stronger and more prolonged tropical cyclones than usual. Coverage highlights the unusual intensity of the season and what it may signal for future storm activity in the Pacific.

A new study finds that climate change and the El Nino phenomenon intensified Hurricane Polo, boosting its strength beyond what natural conditions alone would have produced. The findings add to growing research linking warmer ocean temperatures and El Nino patterns to more powerful tropical storms, drawing attention to the role of global warming in extreme weather events.

A fleet of Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicles is being deployed on a five-year mission to circumnavigate Antarctica, collecting continuous ocean and climate data in waters too remote and harsh for conventional research vessels. NOAA is involved in the effort, which aims to improve monitoring of the Southern Ocean's role in carbon uptake, heat storage and polar climate systems.