By admin 
El Niño has been well-established for the last couple of months, and it’s expected to strengthen even more, new data suggests.
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The naturally occurring climate event has been on every major meteorological organization’s radar since it was first expected to develop in early June, as it was likely to turn into a ‘Super’ El Niño.
While ‘Super’ is not an official term used by meteorologists, it describes a very strong El Niño event, one that can have a very influential impact on the world’s weather.
Here’s everything you should know about this El Niño and how it can have even greater consequences for South Carolina’s winter than in other states.
What is El Niño?
El Niño, which means “Little Boy” in Spanish, is a natural climate event that typically occurs every two to seven years. It’s characterized by warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, which disrupts normal winds and pushes warm water eastward toward the west coast of the Americas.
As the water gets warmer, the weather across the world gets impacted. Areas in the northern U.S. and Canada tend to be drier and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding.
If the conditions are intense, some scientists refer to the weather pattern as a ‘Super’ El Niño, often when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean rise to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average for several months. They’re the same as a standard El Niño, but are much rarer, and they have a stronger impact on the weather.
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According to the latest update from the on Tuesday, their team of meteorologists says that El Niño is strengthening, and there’s a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2026-27.
By the time it reaches its peak toward the end of the year, it could be the strongest El Niño ever recorded. The World Meteorological Organization said there’s almost a 100% chance of it persisting through February 2027.
“It has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world. We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods, and we expect these impacts to increase as El Niño intensifies,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo in a press release.
How will it impact SC?
Typically, El Niño brings slightly cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast. As it keeps intensifying, the weather impact in the Carolinas can be much more severe.
When winter begins, SC will likely see many more storms than usual and possible flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service. The potential for snow remains low.
Even though conditions from El Niño can bring cooler temperatures to SC, ongoing climate change is more likely to bring slightly warmer weather, the NWS said.
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