El Nino drives record Pacific heat in September, EU monitor says

The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on Monday that sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific's Nino 3.4 monitoring region reached 29.70°C in September, an all-time high for the month that exceeds peaks during the powerful El Nino events of 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16.

Global ocean temperatures outside polar regions also hit a September record of 21.05°C, surpassing the previous mark of 20.92°C set in September 2023. The current El Nino episode, declared in June, is still strengthening and has not yet reached its expected peak later this year.

“The values observed in September point to an already exceptionally strong El Nino, especially given that the event has not yet reached its peak.”

Japan's Meteorological Agency said on Friday that the temperature anomaly in its reference zone reached +4.0°C above normal, breaking the previous record of +3.6°C from December 1997. The agency described the event as having reached the strongest intensity on record.

Copernicus cautioned, however, that it cannot yet declare this the strongest El Nino ever recorded. The agency noted that a new index accounting for long-term ocean warming suggests the current event is not yet stronger than past ones, complicating direct historical comparisons.

Forecasters warn the intensifying pattern increases risks of floods, droughts, extreme heat and crop losses worldwide in the coming months.