Argentine meteorologist and WMO Secretary-General since 2024
COP31 has opened in Antalya with delegates focusing on accelerating implementation of national climate plans, securing finance for vulnerable countries and agreeing a voluntary electrification pledge to raise electricity's share of global final energy use to 35% by 2035. Talks are taking place under record heat, a powerful El Niño and strained geopolitics that are limiting appetite for ambitious finance or fossil-fuel curbs.
COP31 in Antalya is accelerating a push for electrification to 35% of global energy demand by 2035, with debates over whether electrification alone lowers emissions and how AI and renewables factor in. A new El Niño is intensifying extreme weather, underscoring the urgency for action.
Meteorological agencies and the UN have reported a very strong El Niño that has continued to intensify in August 2026. Forecasts show record-warm Pacific sea-surface temperatures, rising global heat and an elevated risk of droughts, floods and food insecurity that will push tens of millions more people into acute hunger this year and next.
The latest data show global sea temperatures have reached record highs in August 2026 as El Ni 0o intensifies, driven by natural variability and long-term warming. Forecasts indicate the warmth will continue into 2027, with wide-ranging impacts on weather, seas and economies. Governments warn of increased risks to vulnerable communities and fisheries.
El Niño is strengthening and is likely the strongest in modern records. Forecasts foresee hotter global temperatures, worsened heatwaves, floods and droughts across regions as climate warming interacts with the natural cycle.
The world faces a record-breaking El Niño that is likely to bring extreme weather patterns. The UK government is advising households to prepare for supply disruptions, with Environment Secretary Angela Eagle highlighting the need for resilience as droughts, floods and cyber threats threaten food security.
A global report shows 2025 was among the driest years for river flows in 35 years, with groundwater and glaciers dwindling. Major river systems are under stress from drought, pollution and overexploitation, prompting calls for action and data-sharing to protect communities and economies.
El Ni no is strengthening and is forecast to peak in December 2026. Observations show record sea-surface temperatures with far-reaching impacts on heat, rainfall, and droughts across regions. Forecasts warn of continued extreme conditions into 2027 as nations prepare.
The UN and WMO warn that the current El Niño event could be unprecedented in strength, peaking late 2026, with impacts that will be felt long afterward. Sea-surface temperatures may rise to 3.8°C above average between November 2026 and January 2027, triggering far-reaching weather shifts and humanitarian strain across regions.
Typhoon Champi has battered Taiwan and Japan’s southern islands, killing at least one person, injuring hundreds and causing mass power outages and flight cancellations. Champi has weakened from super-typhoon strength but still carries destructive winds and heavy rains. A separate cyclonic storm, Arnab, has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is moving toward north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha, where authorities have issued heavy-rain and wind alerts.
Typhoon Champi has swept past Taiwan, leaving one dead and hundreds injured. It is weakening but still disrupts power, flights, and evacuations as authorities monitor rains and track its path toward China and Japan.