Meteorologists on X are once again warning about a powerful El Niño, pointing to a new plume of warm subsurface water moving across the Pacific "like a freight train." The latest water temperature data suggest that El Niño later this year could rank among the strongest on record, with potentially significant implications for the Lower 48.

"Updated El Niño forecast for this summer/autumn is 'off the charts' EXTREME with 'boiling red' map colors along Equatorial central and eastern Pacific Ocean," meteorologist Ryan Maue wrote on X. He said this is "code red the Earth's climate system going into Summer 2026," which only means "suppressed Atlantic hurricane activity." 

Meteorologist Ben Noll said, "A brand new El Niño plume from ECMWF reaches +3˚C in most scenarios by November, which would put this event among the strongest on record."

Noll continued, "A freight train of warm water continues to chug across the subsurface Pacific Ocean."

If a super El Niño materializes, it could shift weather patterns worldwide, increasing the risk of flooding in some regions, drought and wildfires in others, and further raising global temperatures. An El Niño event typically strengthens the Pacific jet stream and redistributes heat and moisture globally.

Across the U.S., an El Niño influences seasonal rainfall, especially during winter. The stronger, more active jet stream typically shifts southward, bringing wetter-than-average conditions to the southern U.S., including California, the Gulf Coast, and the Mid-South.

The good news is that El Niño reduces Atlantic hurricane activity.