Scientists warn that the next strong El Niño event could push global temperatures past the critical 1.5°C warming threshold, potentially triggering irreversible climate impacts. The phenomenon involves massive heat release from the Pacific Ocean, altering global weather patterns and ecosystems. This could represent a climate tipping point with lasting changes to heat, rainfall, and drought regimes.
Background
El Niño is a natural climate pattern involving warm ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that affects global weather systems. The 1.5°C warming limit was established in the Paris Agreement as a threshold to avoid the worst climate impacts.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Apr 27, 2026 at 10:12 PM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10