A new study published in the journal Science on August 27 shows that El Niño events — periodic warming phases in the Pacific Ocean — have grown significantly stronger since the preindustrial era. Researchers analyzed coral samples from the Galápagos Islands, a region near the center of El Niño activity, to track changes in ocean temperatures over the last millennium. Their findings suggest that El Niño events in the past 40 years have been nearly 40% more intense than those in the last 1,000 years, and this increase is linked to global warming. El Niño is part of a natural climate cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which alternates between warm El Niño phases and cool La Niña phases, with neutral conditions in between. During El Niño, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific rise, weakening or reversing the trade winds that normally blow across the region. This can disrupt weather patterns globally, leading to changes in rainfall, temperature, and storm activity. The most recent El Niño, which lasted from June 2023 to April 2024, contributed to 2024 being the hottest year on record. The study’s authors concluded that the increased strength of recent El Niño events is primarily due to climate change, not natural factors like volcanic eruptions or variations in solar activity. They observed that as global temperatures have risen, so has the intensity of El Niño events. This link suggests that human-caused climate change is amplifying the effects of these natural climate cycles. Researchers warn that the combination of stronger El Niño events and ongoing global warming could lead to more extreme weather impacts, including severe droughts, floods, wildfires, and challenges in food production. They stress that no country can fully protect itself from these effects, emphasizing the need for global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The current El Niño is expected to be one of the strongest on record, and the period from 2026 to 2027 may bring even more intense conditions.