Satellite measurements are showing a sharp surge in sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Pacific in recent months – the clearest early signal that El Niño is back. This powerful climate pattern, and its counterpart La Niña, can supercharge weather worldwide, amplifying extremes from heatwaves and droughts to torrential rainfall, floods and disrupted winter storm tracks, all on top of the effects of the already warming climate driven by human activity.

The animation shows global sea-surface temperature for 1–7 June 2026.

Read full story: Pacific warming signals El Niño has stirred