‘Super’ weather event warning – UK could face extreme more heatwaves | Weather | News

Meteorologists are warning that a strong El Niño weather pattern developing in the Pacific could push global temperatures even higher later this year, with possible knock-on effects on summers and winters in the UK.

The warning came as NASA satellites confirmed El Niño conditions were continuing and unusually warm waters were forming in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.

The event, which typically occurs every two to seven years, is linked to widespread changes in global weather patterns, including increased precipitation in parts of the Americas and drought conditions in the Western Pacific.

Experts say a strong event could contribute to extreme heat across much of the world, including indirect effects on the UK climate.

Although the impact on Britain is not direct, scientists warn that a strong El Niño could amplify global warming trends that are already driving temperatures higher.

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a natural climate cycle that transitions between a warming El Niño phase and a cooler La Niña phase. During El Niño, heat stored in the Pacific spreads across the ocean and is transferred to the atmosphere, causing global surface temperatures to rise for months, Daily Mail reported.

Although the cycle has existed for thousands of years, current measurements show that Pacific sea temperatures are rising rapidly and may reach 1.5°C to 2°C above normal in some areas.

Simon Culling, data collector and researcher for the UK Tornado and Storm Research Organization (TORRO), warned on social media that the developing system could affect weather in the UK.

He wrote about X: “If current predictions for a future El Niño phase come true, what does this mean for the UK?

“This could mean warmer summers for both 2026 and 2027 and increase the risk of a serious cold spell in winter 2026/27. Let’s see what happens.”

The warning comes after the UK saw its hottest June day on record, with 36.1°C recorded in Gosport, Hampshire.

Forecasters expect conditions to become more variable over the weekend, bringing cleaner air, but July is still predicted to be warmer and drier than average.

Meteorologists say the coming El Niño is comparable in strength to the major 1997/98 event, which contributed to one of the hottest years on record globally and a very hot, humid summer in the UK.

Grahame Madge, climate science communicator at the Met Office, previously said the developing pattern could be significant but stressed it was just one of several factors affecting global weather.

He said: “It will probably be the strongest El Niño event so far this century. And we’re probably comparing that to 1998. That was a significant year in terms of global temperature and was the warmest year on record at the time.”

“It is possible that we will see some effects of El Niño, but it is equally possible that we will see other factors become more dominant.”