Met Office warns strongest El Niño in a century will bring storms to UK

newsAug 21, 202645173

The Met Office says an El Niño developing over the Pacific is likely to be the strongest for more than a century, with Pacific sea temperatures set to rise about 3C, making this event "the largest since the 19th century," according to Prof Adam Scaife. The Met Office forecasts increased rainfall and storminess for north-west Europe including the UK, with wave-like disturbances from the tropics expected to bring wetter, stormier conditions around November. The event will also drive severe droughts across the tropics, including parts of South America and the west Pacific, and heighten drought risk in southern Africa and north-east Australia. Dr Nick Dunstone said more heat will be released from the ocean to the atmosphere during large El Niño events, so 2027 is very likely to replace 2024 as the warmest year on record and temporarily exceed 1.5C above the preindustrial period. The UK is already experiencing drought stress: July was the driest in 190 years, 71.3% of England and all of Wales are in drought, and reservoir levels have fallen to 62.6% capacity. Parts of northwest England saw 52.5mm of rain in 24 hours at Morecambe, but forecasters and officials warned it could take months of sustained rainfall before rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters are fully replenished.

The Guardian

@theguardian.com

Increased rainfall and storms to hit UK due to biggest El Niño for a century, says Met Office

422h ago

Quoting this

TG42Birder🇵🇸6

Met Office, BBC and the media getting their warnings in early for what is looking like a pretty torrid 18 months. Floods & storms this winter and 2027 to be hottest year.

Annie Leymarie5

Just as we welcome the return of the rain after months of drought...😬

Brian O'Halloran4

Welcome to your continued tutorial as to why you shouldn't fuck around with the laws of thermodynamics.

Prof Penny Endersby

@pennyend.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti... I had an early brief on this and ordered a pallet of sandbags for my marginally flood-prone house. They’re easy to obtain in the middle of a drought! This is a good article by the BBC covering some of the global impacts to be expected from such a strong El Niño.

254h ago

Quoting this

Doug McNeall5

Climate deniers, in about 18 months time it’s going to be a great time to talk about global warming having stopped.

Wolfgang Blau

@wblau.bsky.social

Why national governments and mayors should do everything in their power to get us ready for Summer 2027 - while most European governments have not even found words for this Summer 2026. There is no greater test of leadership than your climate leadership. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

273h ago

Quoting this

οἶδα3

Nein, eher nicht erst in 2 oder 5 Jahren. Schon nächstes Jahr könnte schrill werden bsky.app/profile/wbla...

Ian Hall

@ianhall.bsky.social

El Niño set to be 'strongest in living memory', says Met Office www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

165h ago

Dan Jagger

@auditorynerves.bsky.social

The El Niño event developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest in living memory, the UK Met Office has warned. Added to the effects of human-induced climate change, they warn it is "very likely" that 2027 will be the hottest year on record. 🧪🌍🔥 www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

74h ago

Silversprite

@silversprite.bsky.social

A strong suspicion that if Richard "hot summers are great!" Tice and his Poundland fascist crew attain power, then the Met Office will be one of the first organisations to lose government (our) funding. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

154h ago

Wasp Summer #JoinAUnion1

Poundland fascists. Lol. Middle-of-Lidl Mosleys the lot of them.

HarleyRiv1

Agreed, let’s ensure they never get their hands anywhere near the levers of power.

Minister for Porcine Aviation1

"Ah but it's not fossil fuels that's doing this it's Ell Neen Yo. Our Government would deport Ell Neen Yo."

Kevin Thornton

@lowcarbonkev.bsky.social

BBC R4 'Today', 06:00 headline, the coming El Niño. Then, during 1st half-hr, no follow-up. Not a word. I have NEVER sat thru' a news programme where lead story is ignored for so long. Finally, 06:35, a short piece. A bit of an 'El Niño a beginner's guide'. They're whispering 'Wolf'.

114h ago

Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d@toot.bike

@gazza-d.bsky.social

Oh boy. The Met office is forecasting that 2027 will be even hotter on the back of a stormy and wet autumn and winter. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

74h ago

Mike Jay

@mikejay.link

Look... I've said this for over a month now. The Met Office have also been discussing the likelihood of this for the same period of time and it is only now being reported by *any* press. The El Niño has a way of affecting Autumn and Winter weather in the UK & it's time we looked at this seriously.

41h ago

Glen

@gergyl.bsky.social

"Strongest in living memory'. Haha no. It'll be a lot stronger than that.

21h ago

Margot Hodson

@margothodson.bsky.social

Having had a record heatwave summer, looks like a torrential winter to come - and don't think about next year. This is global warming and we need to take more action both to mitigate and adapt. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

24h ago

Urvi

@theurv.com

Drawing of the Day Dr. Aisha Wahab is the first Afghan American to be elected to Congress Russia launched a major attack on Kyiv The UKs Met Office has warned the warming trend over the Pacific could make the combo of El Niño and climate change cause 2027 to be the hottest year on Earth ever.

Thursday August 20,2026
Dr. Aisha Wahab won the special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by Eric Swalwell. She is the first Afghan American to be elected to Congress and will run in November for a full term.

Russia launched an attack on Kyiv and 3 million residents sheltered in subway stations as buildings were hit including food warehouses and a Red Cross facility. The lack of defense for some strikes has come as a shortage of Patriot interceptors coupled with a mix of drone and missiles being launched has made it harder to stop strikes.

The UKs Met Office has warned the warming trend over the Pacific could make the combo of El Niño and climate change cause 2027 to be the hottest year on Earth ever.

25h ago

commamonger 😷 (analogue writing assistant)

@commamonger.bsky.social

"There is also a heightened risk of drought in southern Africa and north-east Australia, while north-western Europe – including the UK – is likely to experience wetter and stormier conditions, the Met Office said."

11h ago

Dominic Manchee

@dpmanchee.bsky.social

El Niño set to be strongest in living memory, says @metoffice.gov.uk Measurements show sea surface temperatures in Pacific are well over 2C above normal. "Heat is released from the ocean into the atmosphere, lifting global temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns" www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

14h ago

Worthing Climate Action Network

@worthingcan.bsky.social

El Niño event developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest for more than a 100 years. Increased rainfall and storms are forecast to hit the UK this autumn as a result of the “unprecedented” weather pattern, which will also cause severe droughts in the southern hemisphere. #elnino

2h ago

1 source

theguardian.comIncreased rainfall and storms to hit UK due to biggest El Niño for a century, says Met Office

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Met Office warns strongest El Niño in a century will bring storms to UK

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