El Niño, the strongest on record, is intensifying and already reshaping global weather patterns. Its influence is visible across continents—from wildfires in Indonesia to storm activity in the Pacific. As the phenomenon strengthens, it amplifies extreme weather events, affecting ecosystems, economies, and public health worldwide. Source: bbc.co.uk.
Indonesia Faces Worst Wildfire Season Since 2015
Indonesia has seen its worst wildfire season since 2015. Since January, over 895,657 hectares of land—nearly six times the size of Greater London—have burned. This is more than double the area burned last year without El Niño.
Public health officials report widespread school closures and rising hospital admissions. Millions in Sumatra and Kalimantan face toxic haze. At least 175,000 people have suffered respiratory illness. Over 40,000 cases involve toddlers, with symptoms ranging from coughs to bronchitis and pneumonia.
El Niño’s dry, hot conditions create ideal fire environments. The Indonesian government has issued emergency alerts and evacuation orders. The crisis remains overwhelming despite these efforts.
Eastern Pacific Sees Unprecedented Hurricane Activity
The eastern Pacific has been unusually active. As of mid-October, 22 named storms and 12 hurricanes have formed—10 of them major. This exceeds the typical number for an entire average season, with two months left.
El Niño raises ocean temperatures and weakens upper-atmosphere winds. These changes allow storms to intensify rapidly. Hurricane Polo is a clear example: it reached wind gusts of 180 mph (285 km/h), fueled by warm El Niño waters.
Three hurricanes—Polo, Odalys, and Nolo—were active in the same basin. In September, three storms—Lowell, Karina, and Marie—formed simultaneously in the central and eastern Pacific.
Scientists say the warmer Pacific alters wind patterns and pressure, enabling multiple storms to form and persist at once.
Atlantic Ocean Remains Quiet
The Atlantic has seen minimal activity. Only one hurricane, Isaias, made landfall in Florida and Alabama. This was the latest-forming hurricane on record since the 1960s.
Before this year, the record was set in 2002 and 2013. In a typical season, 10 named storms, five hurricanes, and two major hurricanes would form by this point. This year, only eight tropical storms developed: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, and Hanna.
El Niño increases wind shear in the north Atlantic. This disrupts storm formation by tearing apart developing systems. The imbalance shows how El Niño affects different ocean basins differently.
India Experiences Below-Average Monsoon Rainfall
India’s monsoon rainfall is 13% below average. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) calls this ‘normal,’ but regional variation is significant. Central India had near-normal rainfall. The east and northeast were 26% drier—classified as ‘exceptional droughts.’ Southern India was 24% drier than expected.
Even in areas with normal rainfall, the rain did not fall steadily. It alternated between long dry spells and extreme downpours. This inconsistency harms agriculture, especially in rain-fed farming regions.
Scientists note El Niño is a major factor, but others—like the Indian Ocean Dipole—may also contribute. This complexity calls for better climate models to understand monsoon variability.
East Asia Faces Floods and Typhoons
Eastern China and Japan have seen floods and landslides from storms like Maysak and Dujuan. The Japanese Meteorological Agency reports 10 tropical cyclones in the western Pacific—more than any season since 1966.
El Niño shifts wind patterns, pushing cyclones farther east. Storms travel longer over warm waters, gaining strength before reaching land. Scientists predict more typhoons this year, with potential impacts on Japan and eastern China.
These events show how ocean temperature changes affect storm frequency, strength, and path—threatening coastal communities and infrastructure.
The World Meteorological Agency says this record-breaking El Niño will strengthen and last until at least 2027. These weather shifts highlight immediate, wide-reaching effects. They also show the need for better regional preparedness, early warnings, and long-term climate adaptation.
For more on how ocean currents shape global weather, see El Niño’s Climate Power.
Sources & further reading
Featured image: An aerial photo taken with a drone shows a shepherd herding sheep on a dried-up paddy field in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia. Via original publisher. Image source
