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It’s here! Japanese Meteorological Agency says El Niño has emerged

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 973 words · By Ed Stoddard
Political accountability Agricultural Risk Management Climate Change and Economic Stability
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It’s official: the El Niño weather pattern has now emerged from the warming waters of the Pacific, raising the spectre of extreme weather events across the world, including the potential for searing droughts and blazing temperatures in this region.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left12%
Center76%
Right12%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

It’s official: the El Niño weather pattern has now emerged from the warming waters of the Pacific, raising the spectre of extreme weather events across the world, including the potential for searing droughts and blazing temperatures in this region.

Why it matters

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) had made the call – the first major weather service to do so – and that it “expected it to intensify in the coming months, and become very strong later in the year, persisting into…

Common ground

Global forecasters have been warning for months that this brewing El Niño could be on steroids – with some commentators likening it to a “Godzilla event” – which, given its historical spoor, would have massive social and economic consequences in southern…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-10-its-here-japanese-meteorologi…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Fear 80% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3
schedule Pending 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 1
cancel Disputed 1
verified Verified 1
info
Claim 1: “The Reserve Bank warned in May when it hiked interest rates that El Niño loomed large in its scenario planning and in the most adverse case could push inflation above 6.0%”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions general warnings about 'super' El Niño and inflation in the Philippines, but there is no specific evidence provided regarding a statement from 'The Reserve Bank' about inflation pushing above 6.0% due to El Niño.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 10, 2026 ... Global forecasters have been warning for months that this brewing El Niño could be on steroids – with some commentators likening it to a ...
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-10-its-here-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 9, 2026 ... Scientists warn a potential “super” El Niño could trigger extreme weather, damaging crops like rice, cocoa, and coffee. At the same time, ...
https://www.facebook.com/ForbesMENA.English/posts/scientists…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago ... “ Government data showed inflation rose to 6.1% in June, the highest in more than three years and soaring past the government's 2-4% target. In ...
https://www.facebook.com/ManilaBulletinBusiness/posts/asia-p…
schedule
Claim 2: “Zambia’s projected maize harvest this season of 4.9 million tonnes will also be a record, far surpassing last year’s record of 3.9 million tonnes”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 3: “The most recent El Niño, in 2023-24, was one of the five strongest on record”
CORROBORATED
The claim is explicitly confirmed by a cross-reference from EuroNews and a Wikipedia entry stating the 2023-2024 El Niño was the fifth-most powerful event in recorded history.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño–Southern_Oscillation
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ángel Muñoz García (Spanish: [ˈaŋxel muˈɲoθ ɣaɾˈθia]; born 11 September 1994), better known as by his stage name Jordi El Niño Polla (Spanish: [ˈɟʝoɾði el ˈniɲo ˈpoʎa]; "Jordi 'The Dick Boy'"), often …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordi_El_Niño_Polla
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Super El Niño events, also called very strong El Niño events, are climatic phenomena resulting from the average sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean rising by 2° Celsius or more, aff…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_El_Niño_events
+ 4 more evidence sources
cancel
Claim 4: “the El Niño weather pattern has now emerged from the warming waters of the Pacific”
DISPUTED
The evidence is contradictory. One web search result states 'La Niña has arrived', while other sources discuss El Niño. There is no single consensus in the provided evidence regarding the current state of the Pacific for the specific timeframe mentioned.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2014–2016 El Niño was the second-strongest El Niño event on record, with unusually warm waters developing between the coast of South America and the International Date Line. These unusually warm w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014–2016_El_Niño_event
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño–Southern_Oscillation
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Super El Niño events, also called very strong El Niño events, are climatic phenomena resulting from the average sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean rising by 2° Celsius or more, aff…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_El_Niño_events
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 5: “According to the latest weekly update from the Department of Water and Sanitation, provincial dam levels outside of the Western Cape are all over 90%”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 6: “The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said pointedly on Wednesday that the “average SST for 60°S–60°N in May 2026 was the second highest on record for the month””
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results from May 2026 confirm that the average SST for 60°S–60°N in May 2026 was the second-highest on record (one citing 20.97°C and another citing April as second-highest but confirming the May trend).
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2026, is an ongoing multi-sport event being held from 23 July to 2 August 2026 in Glasgow, t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Commonwealth_Games
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 2026 (MMXXVI) is the current year, and is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2026th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 26th year of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It is very likely that global mean sea surface temperature increased by 0.88 °C between 1850–1900 and 2011–2020 due to global warming, with most of that warming ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_surface_temperature
+ 2 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “South Africa and other countries in this region have had bumper maize crops”
VERIFIED
Web search results indicate that maize yields in Southern Africa increase during La Niña years, supporting the claim that these regions have bumper crops under those conditions.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — a graphic showing la Nina weather pattern over nation. La Niña causes the jet stream to move northward and to weaken over the eastern Pacific. During La Niña winters, the South sees warmer and drier c…
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — For instance, maize yield increases in Southern Africa in La Nina are much smaller than the associated decreases in maize yield in El Nino years.
https://www.nasaharvest.org/news/studying-association-of-el-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Maize Crop Yield Data Analysis Using Weather Data. This repository contains a study of maize crop yield prediction using historical weather data and regional crop yield statistics.
https://github.com/yeab-c/Maize-crop-yield-data-analysis-usi…
check_circle
Claim 8: “Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) had made the call – the first major weather service to do so”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources (ZeroHedge, YACHT, and Gizmodo) explicitly state that the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) was the first major weather organization to declare the onset of El Niño.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2024, Japan experienced excessive heat beginning in April, which led to at least 59 heat-related deaths and at least 62 temperature observation posts across Japan breaking temperature records in Ju…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Japan_heatwaves
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Pacific typhoon season is an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation in the western Pacific Ocean. The season runs throughout 2026, although most tropical cyclones typ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Pacific_typhoon_season
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2026, tropical cyclones have been forming in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones will be named by various weather agencies when they attain max…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclones_in_2026
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 9: “El Niño is triggered by a warming of surface sea temperatures (SSTs) in the tropical Pacific”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia's entry on El Niño–Southern Oscillation confirms that the phenomenon emerges from variations in sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — What is the difference between el and él? Compare and contrast the definitions and English translations of el and él on SpanishDictionary.com, the world's most accurate Spanish-English reference websi…
https://www.spanishdict.com/compare/el/él
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — El is often described as the father of the gods and the creator of humanity. El had many epithets, including "Bull El," "El the King," and "Father of Mankind," reflecting his authority, wisdom, and pa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_(deity)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 1, 2024 · El vs él are two different words. El without an accent is a definite article (the) and more often it’s placed before concrete singular masculine nouns. Él with an accent is a pronoun for…
https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/grammar/el-with-or-without-a…
verified
Claim 10: “the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued a stark warning to prepare for the coming storm”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the WMO is identified as a UN agency, the provided evidence does not contain any specific warning issued by the WMO to 'prepare for the coming storm' or a specific El Niño event in the context of the claim.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023–2024 El Niño was regarded as the fifth-most powerful El Niño–Southern Oscillation event in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding and other natural disasters across the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–2024_El_Niño_event
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The highest temperature recorded on Earth has been measured in three major ways: air, ground, and via satellite observation. Air measurements are used as the standard measurement because of persistent…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highest_temperature_recorded_o…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophys…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Meteorological_Organizat…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 11: “South Africa’s annual maize consumption is about 12 million tonnes”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding South Africa's annual maize consumption figures.
help
Claim 12: “the government’s Crop Estimates Committee is that South Africa’s maize production for 2025/26 will be a record 17.1 million tonnes, including 9.2 million tonnes of white maize”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute the specific production numbers for South Africa's 2025/26 maize crop.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.