On Friday, July 31st, 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that a strengthening El Niño is "adding fuel to a planet already on fire" and pushing the world into "uncharted territory." He highlighted that this El Niño could shatter all-time records and intensify the ongoing climate crisis.

Guterres noted that "two months ago, I warned that El Niño was arriving on our doorstep," addressing the world body. The El Niño weather pattern warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, causing worldwide changes in winds, atmospheric pressure, and rainfall patterns, which in turn raise global temperatures.

According to a new forecast by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are now averaging 3°C (5.4°F) above normal — an unprecedented level this early in the season. Guterres said, "Taken together, that risks shattering every seasonal record – and driving even more severe effects worldwide."

He emphasized that human-caused climate change amplifies El Niño's impacts by increasing ocean and atmospheric warmth, which fuels extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rainfall. "We have already endured a summer of extremes – record-shattering heat domes; apocalyptic wildfires raging in Spain, France and far beyond; thousands of lives lost in the scorching conditions," Guterres said.

"But according to the latest science, this is only a warm-up act," he added. "Now it is inside the house – and turning up the heat."

Guterres concluded, "The verdict is clear: the climate crisis is in overdrive," and outlined the need for action on four fronts to address the escalating crisis.

Sources