The World Meteorological Organisation has warned that the development of an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific is highly likely to drive up global temperatures and trigger extreme weather patterns in the coming months.

According to the United Nations weather agency, there is an 80 percent chance of the climate phenomenon emerging between June and August, with the probability of it persisting until at least November rising to around 90 percent.

Characterised by a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, El Niño cycles typically last between nine and twelve months.

The global weather body indicated that current surface anomalies are being heavily fueled by exceptionally warm subsurface conditions, creating a substantial reservoir of heat beneath the ocean surface. Consequently, above-average temperatures are projected across nearly all land areas through the upcoming season.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised the need for global preparedness, noting that the developing system shows signs of becoming a moderate to potentially strong event. She warned that the phenomenon is set to exacerbate both severe droughts and heavy rainfall globally, while significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of dangerous heatwaves across both land and marine environments.