El Niño Advisory · NOAA Climate Prediction Center

El Niño is active and strengthening

+1.8°C

Niño 3.4 anomaly · week centered June 24, 2026

Strong

Forecast peak: winter 2026–27 · 63% chance of a very strong event (at least +2.0°C) · 88% chance of at least a strong one.

Data as of July 3, 2026

The race: 2026–27 vs the three strongest El Niños on record

Monthly Niño 3.4 anomaly, aligned January of onset year → June of year two

2026–27now +1.6°C2015–16peak +2.7°C1997–98peak +2.5°C1982–83peak +2.3°C

Monthly mean Niño 3.4 anomalies, aligned Jan of onset year → Jun of year two · ElNinoLive

Sea surface temperature anomalies, live

Warm water spreading along the equatorial Pacific is El Niño's signature

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Official ENSO outlook probabilities

Chance of each state by overlapping three-month season · outlook of 2026-06-12

97% El Niño for the NDJ 2026-27 peak season (outlook of 2026-06-12).

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Southern Oscillation Index

The atmosphere's side of ENSO: sustained negative SOI accompanies El Niño.

Latest: -0.9 (May 2026) — negative readings sit on the El Niño side.

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The 2026–27 event so far

  1. Feb 2026

    La Niña fades

    The 2025–26 La Niña weakens below thresholds.

  2. Apr 2026

    Neutral Pacific

    ENSO-neutral conditions through spring.

  3. May 2026

    Threshold crossed

    Weekly Niño 3.4 exceeds +0.5°C.

  4. Jun 2026 · now

    El Niño Advisory

    NOAA declares El Niño conditions present.

  5. Nov 2026 – Jan 2027

    Forecast peak

    63% odds the peak reaches “very strong” (≥ +2.0°C).

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What it means where you live

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