The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has warned that a rare weather event is imminent, amid fears that Super El Nino is getting closer with each passing day.
The US space agency used satellite data from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, launched in 2020, to analyze water across South America and detected hundreds of kilometers of warm water arriving in the Pacific Ocean.
NASA said signs point to a strong possibility that Super El Nino will emerge later this year.
The space exploration agency noted: “Higher, warmer waves of water are moving eastward across the Pacific Ocean a few months before the emergence of El Niño. Several have appeared in 2026 satellite data.”
For those who don’t know, a Super El Niño is an extreme version of a natural weather event in which a huge pool of unusually warm water builds up in the Pacific Ocean, which then acts as a giant heater pushing global temperatures to record highs and causing extreme and chaotic weather around the world.
El Nino events have occurred naturally for thousands of years, their intensity and impacts are much stronger this year.
Scientists predict an average global temperature increase of around 3°C, which will cause extreme heat almost everywhere in the world.
How to protect yourself against El Nino:
- Monitor official weather forecasts and warnings.
- Prepare for extreme weather in your area, whether it’s heavy rain, flooding, heat or drought.
- Keep an emergency supply of food, water, medications and essential items.
- Have an evacuation plan if you live in an area prone to flooding or landslides.
- Conserve water if local authorities warn of drought conditions.
- Secure your home against storms and heavy rain.
- Avoid floodwaters and follow evacuation orders.
- Stay hydrated and protect yourself from the heat in unusually hot weather.
- Protect crops, livestock and water supplies if you live in a rural area.
- Follow the directions of local emergency management agencies.
This year’s El Nino event started later than those of 1997 and 2015, according to Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
However, he warned, “it’s starting to catch up.”
