‘Super’ El Niño is now a near certainty. Here are 5 side effects you may not know about

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El Niño explainer with NOAA climate scientist

El Niño explainer with NOAA climate scientist

(NEXSTAR) – The chance of a very strong, or “super” El Niño grew to greater than 90% on Thursday. In fact, it may soon become one of the strongest El Niños ever, the Climate Prediction Center said.

“During the October-December 2026 season, there is a 75% chance of a historic eventthat would exceed the strength of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950,” the national forecasters said in their latest release.

The climate phenomenon has continued to build strength as we get closer to a winter season peak. With an event this strong, we’re more likely to see the classic El Niño weather impacts in the coming months.

But El Niño doesn’t just impact the weather. Experts at Columbia Climate School recently broke down five lesser-known impacts of El Niño we’re likely to see with this year’s super-charged event.

“Now is the time to get ready,” said said Dr. Jeffrey Shaman, senior vice dean and professor at the Columbia Climate School.

El Niño doesn’t hit all crops the same way worldwide, explained Michael Puma, a Columbia climate professor and researcher, but when it creates extreme weather events, it can disrupt food production in a region.

While the outlook for wheat is looking........

© The Hill