‘Prepare For Surprises’: Scientists Warn ‘Super’ El Niño Could Impact Millions Worldwide

‘Prepare For Surprises’: Scientists Warn ‘Super’ El Niño Could Impact Millions Worldwide Published By, Last Updated: May 19, 2026, 21:30 IST Scientists warn a strengthening El Niño could be the most intense since 1950, bringing floods, droughts, heat waves, wildfires and trillions in global economic losses. The climate scientists have warned "four surprises" that may be the result of upcoming El Niños. (PTI) The last Super El Niño had reshaped the weather and economies around the world. However, the scientists warn that the coming El Niño will likely affect lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide as it will continue to strengthen till the winter season. El Niño, meaning Little Boy in Spanish, is a naturally occurring weather cycle in the Pacific Ocean. According to USGS, the low-level surface winds, which normally blow from east to west along the equator (“easterly winds"), instead weaken or, in some cases, start blowing the other direction (from west to east or “westerly winds"). This phenomenon recurs irregularly, from two years to a decade. According to CNN, some computer models show the upcoming El Niño will exceed the intensity of all those events to become the most intense since at least 1950. The effects of a strong El Niño will maybe include flooding in some areas while drought, heat waves and wildfires plague other regions. The climate scientists have warned “four surprises" that may be the result of upcoming El Niños. Costly Affair: CNN quoted studies of historical El Niño events, particularly the “El Niño of the Century" in 1997-98, stating that the economic damage can run into the trillions globally, though some countries can benefit economically from the milder winters it brings or other weather pattern shifts. In the 1982-83 El Niño, there were global income losses of $4.1 trillion and $5.7 trillion of global income losses was recorded to the 1997-98 event. Individual Weather Systems To Get Instigated: According to CNN, El Niño does not instigate individual weather systems so much as dial up or down the odds for particular conditions to prevail at a certain time of the year. In the US, El Niño’s influence usually peaks up during the winter months while there are weaker correlations with weather patterns at other times of the year. Past Studies Help Preparing For Future: Accurate forecasts of El Niño since the early 1980s have helped the scientists is preparing for the impacts of each El Niño. CNN quoted Andrew Kruczkiewicz, a researcher at Columbia University’s Climate School, saying that as El Niño forecasts have grown more accurate over time, humanitarian groups, governments, companies and farmers have become more adept at preparing for its effects, though the most vulnerable and underserved communities may not have access to all of the information they need. Prepare For Surprises: According to CNN, climate change makes this El Niño a wild card, since it will occur in a far warmer world than that of 2015-16 and 1997-98 — and especially 1982-83. “Climate change has made El Niño events of the past less informative for events today," said Nathan Lenssen, a scientist at the NSF Center for Atmospheric Research. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: May 19, 2026, 21:30 IST News world ‘Prepare For Surprises’: Scientists Warn ‘Super’ El Niño Could Impact Millions Worldwide Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...