The strongest El Niño on record is brewing. Here's what could happen

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · May 12, 2026 · 732 words · By Liam Gilliver

climate_change Environmental Risk Meteorological forecasting

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What to know about climate_change

Climate scientists warn that the strongest El Niño on record could hit later this year, bringing with it more bouts of extreme weather.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left14%

Center86%

Right0%

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

What happened

Climate scientists warn that the strongest El Niño on record could hit later this year, bringing with it more bouts of extreme weather.

Why it matters

Seasonal models are predicting an El Niño climate pattern that could be the strongest on record, bringing with it more bouts of extreme weather.

Common ground

“I think we’re going to see weather events that we’ve never seen in modern history before,” WFLA-TV Chief Meteorologist and Climate Specialist Jeff Berardelli, in Tampa, Florida, warns.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this climate_change story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that El Niño (Spanish for 'the boy') is a cyclical and natural warming of patches of the equatorial Pacific that then alters the world’s weather patterns?
How does this story connect climate_change with Environmental Risk over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/12/from-record-heat-to-floods-and-drought-whats…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% 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

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole 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 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3

info Single Source 3

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified Verified 1

verified

Claim 1: “El Niño (Spanish for 'the boy') is a cyclical and natural warming of patches of the equatorial Pacific that then alters the world’s weather patterns.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The definition of El Niño as a natural warming of the equatorial Pacific that alters global weather patterns is confirmed by Wikipedia and multiple authoritative climate sources including the Bureau of Meteorology.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1997–1998 El Niño was regarded as one of the most powerful El Niño–Southern Oscillation events in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding and other natural disasters across th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997–98_El_Niño_event

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2014–2016 El Niño was the 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 waters i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014–2016_El_Niño_event

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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

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “It typically oscillates back toward La Nina, which in turn lowers global temperatures for a year or two”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found or provided for this claim.

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Claim 3: “Its counterpart, La Niña, is marked by waters that are cooler than average.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources and a cross-reference confirm that La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average ocean waters in the Pacific.

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web search NEUTRAL — Strong La Niña conditions during December 1998 are shown in the top panel. The Eastern Pacific is cooler than usual, and unusually cool water extends farther westward than is usual (see the blue color…
https://pmel.noaa.gov/elnino/what-is-la-nina

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web search NEUTRAL — La Niña is a significant climate phenomenon characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, which occur when stronger-than-usual eastward trade …
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/oceanography/la-nina

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web search NEUTRAL — In other words, a La Niña is characterized by cooler-than-average ocean temperatures, whereas El Niño events are characterized by unusually warm waters.
https://mashable.com/article/la-nina-watch-issued?europe=tru…

+ 1 more evidence source

info

Claim 4: “Forest degradation, driven by wildfires, logging and drought, affects about 40 per cent of the Amazon.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is only mentioned in one cross-reference (Phys). No other independent sources or web results were provided to corroborate the 40% figure for Amazon forest degradation.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — Forest degradation, driven by wildfires, logging and drought, affects about 40% of the Amazon.
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-potentially-el-nino.html

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Claim 5: “El Niño typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months, according to the WMO.”

VERIFIED

The frequency (every 2-7 years) and duration (9-12 months) are explicitly confirmed by both the WMO and NOAA in the web search results.

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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, though most tropical cyclones typic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Pacific_typhoon_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — El Paso (English: ; Spanish: [el ˈpaso] , lit. 'the route' or 'the pass') is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. It is the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S., sixt…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso,_Texas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Global surface temperature (GST) is the average temperature of Earth's surface at a given time. It is a combination of sea surface temperature and the near-surface air temperature over land, weighted …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_surface_temperature

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “El Niño also subdues the hurricane season in the Atlantic”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of irrelevant results regarding the deity 'El', steakhouses, and Spanish grammar; no climate data regarding Atlantic hurricanes was provided.

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web search NEUTRAL — Let's look at "él" vs "el". Él is a subject personal pronoun. It has a written accent on the letter é. The direct English translation is he. For example: Él tiene muchos amigos. He has lots of friends…
https://spanish.kwiziq.com/revision/grammar/difference-betwe…

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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.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_(deity)

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web search NEUTRAL — The El Gaucho experience blends impeccable service and exceptional quality. We source and serve the finest ingredients found locally, and around the world. Our menu features fresh seafood selections a…
https://elgaucho.com/

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Claim 7: “The WMO’s Global Seasonal Climate Update shows that sea-surface temperatures are rising rapidly.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the WMO is identified as an authoritative body, the provided evidence does not contain the specific 'Global Seasonal Climate Update' report or data confirming that sea-surface temperatures are rising rapidly in that specific context.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also inclu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Owing to tremendous differences in latitude, longitude, and altitude, the climate of China is extremely diverse. It ranges from tropical or subtropical in the far south to subarctic in the far north, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_China

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Europe is generally characterized by a temperate climate. Most of Western Europe has an oceanic climate, in the Köppen climate classification, featuring cool to warm summers and cool winters with freq…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Europe

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “An El Niño event is expected to develop from the middle of this year, impacting global temperature and rainfall patterns, according to the World Meteorological Organization.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by a cross-reference (Phys) and confirmed by multiple web search results citing the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) regarding an El Niño event expected to develop from mid-year (specifically mid-2026 in the provided evidence).

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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

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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…

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “However, this term ['super El Ninos'] isn't used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).”

CORROBORATED

Both a cross-reference (EuroNews) and a WMO web result explicitly state that the term 'super El Niño' is not used by NOAA (or WMO).

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web search NEUTRAL — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA / ˈnoʊ.ə / NOH-ə) is a United States scientific and regulatory agency tasked with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric cond…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospher…

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web search NEUTRAL — On the second Thursday of each month, scientists with NOAA's Climate Prediction Center in collaboration with forecasters at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) release a…
https://www.climate.gov/enso

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web search NEUTRAL — Federal scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a long-anticipated shift in a powerful global climate pattern on Thursday, April 9, as worry grows about ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2026/04/09/el-ni…

+ 1 more evidence source

info

Claim 10: “The very strongest events are commonly referred to as “super El Ninos.””

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this specific claim contains irrelevant search results (shipping services) and general El Niño descriptions, but no specific confirmation that the term 'super El Niño' is the common designation for the strongest events, although it is mentioned in the context of claim 6.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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.