New El Niño forecast warns of a powerful shift amid hurricane season

El Niño is coming "soon" and it could reach "very strong" levels later this year, according to a May 14 forecast released by climate scientists from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

This and other forecasts are raising alarms globally because of the pattern's powerful influence over the world's weather. This includes its often dramatic impact on hurricanes, where it can suppress the number of storms that form in the Atlantic basin but boost those in the Pacific.

NOAA's forecast said that El Niño is likely to emerge soon (with an 82% chance the next 2-3 months) and continue through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2026-27 (a 96% chance by December 2026 - February 2027).