Breaking News — The coming El Niño event will push global temperatures to an unprecedented high, making 2026 the hottest year in recorded history, according to a leading climate scientist. Dr. James Hansen, former NASA director and renowned climatologist, forecasts that a strong El Niño phase starting in the latter half of 2025 will amplify warming enough to overtake 2024's record.
“The second half of this year will almost certainly see the start of an El Niño phase that could lead to extreme heat across much of the globe,” Hansen said in an exclusive statement. “That makes me expect 2026 to surpass 2024 as the hottest year on record.” The prediction underscores the accelerating impact of human-caused climate change compounded by natural variability.
Background
El Niño is a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. It typically occurs every two to seven years and can disrupt weather worldwide, often causing droughts, floods, and intense heatwaves.
2024 currently holds the title of hottest year since modern record-keeping began in the late 19th century. However, Hansen’s analysis — which combines historical trends with current oceanic indicators — suggests that the upcoming El Niño will trigger an even greater spike. The last major El Niño events occurred in 2015–2016 and 2023–2024.
What This Means
If Hansen’s forecast holds, 2026 will bring devastating consequences: more frequent and severe heatwaves, intensified wildfires, and stress on water and food supplies. Vulnerable populations in tropical and subtropical regions will be hit hardest.
“We are entering uncharted territory,” Hansen warned. “Policymakers must accelerate emissions reductions and invest in adaptation measures immediately.” The prediction also raises pressure on governments to strengthen their climate commitments ahead of the COP summit later this year.
Immediate Steps
- Heatwave preparedness: Cities should expand cooling centers and early warning systems.
- Agriculture adaptation: Farmers need drought-resistant crops and irrigation upgrades.
- Energy resilience: Grid operators must anticipate record demand for air conditioning.
Read more about El Niño impacts in our background section and analysis of what this means for global policy.