Fastrack · Super El Niño Arrives, Could Make 2026 Hottest Year

2026 is on track to be one of the hottest years on record, the World Meteorological Organization said Monday. The agency cited long-term warming and a strong El Niño.

1.47C above the pre-industrial average from January through September 2026.
12 most recent years each rank among the warmest ever recorded.
1993 satellite records began; this summer set new sea-level highs.
30,000-plus excess deaths followed Europe's summer heat, drought and wildfires.

Why it matters: El Niño is expected to peak in December, so its extreme weather could extend into 2027. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called it a risk multiplier for heatwaves, cyclones and rainstorms.

Copernicus says 2026 will almost certainly top the Paris Agreement's 1.5C mark.
El Niño releases stored ocean heat rather than adding new heat, the WMO says.

The story so far

3 steps · since Nov 5

Nov 52026 Likely Second-Hottest Year on Record, EU Monitor Says4 sources
Nov 8COP31 Opens in Turkey as Climate Goals Face Pressure18 sources
Nov 9Super El Niño Arrives, Could Make 2026 Hottest YearYou are hereLatest

How 4 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

High

Mixed

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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 4 sources

4 sources · 5 articles · 50% Left coverage

Where they split: Coverage differs on emphasis: whether El Niño or long-term human-caused warming is the main story behind 2026's heat.

Center1 source

Jerusalem Post4hUN report: 2026 on track to be among four hottest years on record as El Niño drives warming

Left coverage, 2 sources: The left frames El Niño as a short-term amplifier of human-caused warming and focuses on what it means for people's lives and regions.

The Independent6hScientists warn that 2026 may be one of the hottest years on record Grist6hA monstrous El Niño has arrived. Here’s what it means for where you live.

Right coverage, 1 sources: The right centers El Niño itself as the driver of this year's record-setting heat and extreme weather.

Daily Mail8hSuper El Niño is 'off the charts': Extreme climate event is 'supercharging our weather' - bringing exceptional global temperatures, melting ice and rising sea levels

What’s next: COP31 climate talks run Nov. 9 to 20 in Turkey. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged faster emissions cuts and more aid for vulnerable countries.

NOAA's December-February outlook favors a warm North and wet South in the U.S.
How much is climate change strengthening El Niño events? Grist reports scientists are still studying it.
How many heat deaths will this El Niño cause? Estimates cited range from 370,000 to about 450,000.