(NEXSTAR) – El Niño is gaining steam. National forecasters released an update on the climate phenomenon this week, saying it's now predicted to last longer and grow stronger than previously thought.
There's a 97% chance this year's El Niño will spill over into next year, lasting until spring 2027, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. There's an 81% chance it will grow to be "very strong" by its peak in the early winter.
Very strong El Niños, also called "super" El Niños, are rare. If things pan out as they're predicted to, this year's "would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950," according to the Climate Prediction Center.
"I think it's fair to say that, depending on [the] model, the forecasts are close to unprecedented," Michael Tippett, a Columbia University atmospheric scientist, told CNN.
A "super" El Niño doesn't necessarily mean super-strong weather impacts.
There's a 97% chance this year's El Niño will spill over into next year, lasting until spring 2027, the Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. There's an 81% chance it will grow to be "very strong" by its peak in the early winter.
Very strong El Niños, also called "super" El Niños, are rare. If things pan out as they're predicted to, this year's "would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950," according to the Climate Prediction Center.
"I think it's fair to say that, depending on [the] model, the forecasts are close to unprecedented," Michael Tippett, a Columbia University atmospheric scientist, told CNN.
A "super" El Niño doesn't necessarily mean super-strong weather impacts.
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