THE extraordinary El Niño gathering strength in the Pacific could make 2026 the hottest year on record, with 2027 hotter still. According to the EU’s Copernicus climate service, sea temperatures in a Pacific region reached a record high in September. US forecasters expect the phenomenon, which changes weather patterns worldwide, to remain strong into early next year. For Pakistan, its effects could stretch across several seasons. El Niño can influence the western weather systems that bring winter rain and snow to the northern mountains, while it has often been linked with weaker monsoons in South Asia.........

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