COP31 WMO warns El Niño could push 2027 temperatures higher

The World Meteorological Organisation cautioned on Monday that 2027 might emerge as the hottest year on record as an incoming El Niño drives severe heat. This announcement was delivered while international delegates convened in Turkey for the UN Climate Change Conference known as COP31.

WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo stated that the climate phenomenon acts as a risk multiplier while weather extremes accelerate. "The phenomenon, which occurs every few years, causes extreme weather and rising temperatures," Saulo said.

A fresh climate assessment from the organisation revealed that the preceding 12 consecutive years ranked as the warmest in observational history. Furthermore, global surface temperatures between January and September 2026 hovered approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages.

The report highlighted severe global impacts this year, including over 30,000 excess fatalities linked to European heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. Additionally, extreme heat affected 146.5 million people in India during April, while a Himalayan disaster in August caused more than 1,300 deaths.

John Kennedy, head of climate information at the agency, explained that extra energy and moisture from El Niño compound long-term climate risks. Meanwhile, global mean sea levels climbed to a record peak, driven partly by shifting rainfall patterns and melting glaciers.