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NOAA Sees 61% Chance El Niño Forms by Mid-2026

El Niño tends to make central Argentina’s spring wetter, posing flood risk for fields already soaked by March–April rains.

Overview

  • NOAA’s latest diagnostic says ENSO remains neutral through April–June, with El Niño favored to emerge in May–July and persist through late 2026.
  • The agency reports five straight months of warming in the equatorial Pacific subsurface, along with wind shifts that typically precede a warm phase.
  • Forecast centers including Columbia University’s IRI and the WMO now put odds above 50%, though they caution that spring limits forecast skill.
  • NOAA says strength is uncertain, with about a one-in-four chance of a very strong event, and scientists note “Súper Niño” is an informal label.
  • For producers in Córdoba, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Buenos Aires, a wetter pattern can lift yields but also trigger flooding, waterlogging and harvest delays given saturated soils.