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A 'Godzilla El Niño' event is about to impact the US, as confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Experts have issued official advice, as it is expected to gain strength as winter approaches, with forecasts predicting a 63% chance it will reach the “very strong” threshold.
This would make it one of the strongest events on modern record, which dates back to 1950.
Global warming is already an issue that is taking its toll on our planet, with record highs being recorded in various countries this summer.
But an El Niño, let alone a 'Godzilla' version of it, may bring about drought, wildfires, and more hurricanes in certain areas.
In fact, a report published by Climate Impact Lab claims that a 'super' El Niño event could result in 451,000 deaths across the world between September 2026 and February 2027.
If forecasts are accurate, we may experience a 44% increase in extremely hot days, which is caused by sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean increasing. It's noted that the Global South will feel the effects the most.
The threat brought about by this event is a cause for concern, but the Trump Administration doesn't seem too fussed.
Trump has previously poked fun at Global Warming on social media, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he is doing next to nothing ahead of this event.
Just this spring, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began 'descoping' the Ocean Observatories Initiative, which is a network delivering real-time ocean data from over 900 sensors.
Essentially, the Trump Administration has gone out of its way to dismantle this program, with the agency announcing that all sensors, buoys and other equipment would be removed from four of the program’s five sites.
These are located from the Gulf of Alaska to the Irminger Sea between Greenland and Iceland, and then south to the waters of North Carolina.
It cost an eye-watering $386m to build over the course of a decade, with the system regarded as one of the most advanced ocean-observing networks in the world.
But it may soon be no more, after being cut down to the bare bones.
In an explanation to VT, the UK's Met Office explained what a regular one is like, saying: "El Niño is a naturally occurring weather cycle in the Pacific Ocean characterized by unusually hot waters near the equator, which changes the circulation of air in the atmosphere.
"But the effects of El Niño do not stay limited to that part of the Pacific; they ricochet outward to affect weather and climate patterns around the globe."
However, a strong or "Super El Niño" is when sea surface temperatures increase by more than 1.5°C, with this occurrence possibly taking place this fall.
This change started in June 2026 and could peak around November 2026, when sea surface temperatures are predicted to reach around 4°C above average.
Scientists think it could result in 2027 becoming the warmest year on record, with the estimated likelihood of a Super El Niño being increased by professionals in recent weeks.
The NOAA ENSO forecast page also details where the affected areas will be and how we will be impacted over the seasons.
Scientists are starting to describe it as 'Godzilla-level', though this term isn't being used by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
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A 44 percent increase in extremely hot days will result in higher humidity levels, with the temperature making it harder for humans to cool down.
The predicted 451,000 deaths will be a result of the physiological impacts of heat, with experts explaining that the death toll could be far higher due to indirect casualties.
An El Niño will cause flooding, droughts, food shortages, crop failures, wildfires, and a spike in tropical diseases, among other effects.
Scientists believe that areas that are already naturally hot and poor in the Southern Hemisphere will be impacted the most.
The last Super El Niño occurred during the 2015–16 period and was one of the strongest on record.
Prior to that, notable Super El Niño events took place in 1997–98 and 1982–83.
Experts caution, however, that no two El Niño events are identical in their impacts, making direct comparisons between past and future events difficult.
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