![El Niño in the Pacific. Australia Warns of the Consequences [Global Report]](https://foodcom.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/News-world_22-1-1520x760.png "El Niño in the Pacific. Australia Warns of the Consequences [Global Report]")
- El Niño has formed in the tropical Pacific, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
- Forecasts indicate the possibility of a strong or very strong event.
- About half of the models suggest that the phenomenon could reach levels among the highest since 1950.
- For Australia, this means a risk of lower rainfall, higher temperatures, and pressure on agricultural production.
- The previous episode in 2023–2024 brought a record-breaking three-month dry spell to the country.
The Pacific has entered the El Niño phase
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has announced that El Niño has begun in the tropical Pacific. According to the bureau, sea surface temperatures in the region have exceeded the thresholds characteristic of this phenomenon, and atmospheric indicators are also consistent with it.
Forecasts indicate that the current episode could be strong or very strong, mainly due to the extent of warming in the central tropical Pacific. Around half of the models suggest that the peak of the phenomenon could be among the highest levels observed since 1950.
Australian agriculture under pressure from extreme weather
El Niño is associated with periodic warming of the waters in the central and eastern Pacific. In Australia, it may lead to lower rainfall in winter and spring, particularly on the east coast, as well as higher daytime temperatures in the south of the country.
The phenomenon is particularly significant for Australian agriculture, as the country is a leading exporter of wheat, sugar and beef. The previous El Niño of 2023–2024 led to the driest three-month period on record, whilst the 2015–2016 episode was associated with widespread drought and a decline in cereal and oilseed production.
