A rapidly intensifying El Nino event is gaining strength in the equatorial Pacific and poised to become the most powerful ever recorded, with ocean temperatures climbing far faster than expected, China's National Climate Center warned on Tuesday.
According to the center's latest monitoring data, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific have been rising steadily since the region entered El Nino conditions in May 2026.
Warming has accelerated markedly in recent months. The Oceanic Nino index reached 2.1 degrees Celsius in July, up 0.5 degrees Celsius from June, and climbed further to 2.6 degrees Celsius in the first half of August.
The center projects that sea surface temperatures will continue to rise with fluctuations, peaking around November to December and forming a super El Nino event, before gradually decaying through the spring and summer of 2027.
"The intensity of an El Nino event is defined by its peak sea temperatures during autumn and winter. When peak sea surface temperatures reach or exceed 2.5 degrees Celsius, it is classified as a super El Nino event. The November peak will likely exceed 3 degrees Celsius, and could go even higher. That would make this event stronger than the previous three super El Nino events, and the most powerful El Nino since monitoring records began," said Gu Wei, chief forecaster at the National Climate Center.
The center said that this event is characterized by rapid onset, exceptional intensity, and potentially significant climate impacts worldwide.
El Niño is a climate cycle characterized by hotter-than-average ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which can disrupt global weather patterns, bringing floods to some areas and droughts to others.
El Nino intensifies, likely to become strongest on record: climate center
El Nino intensifies, likely to become strongest on record: climate center
El Nino intensifies, likely to become strongest on record: climate center
The mayor of the quake-hit Colombian city of Cali has expressed gratitude for the disaster relief aid it has received from China as he says the city is now shifting its recovery efforts toward reconstruction as it looks to rebuild in the wake of last Monday's deadly quake.
The death toll from the devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake which rocked northwest Colombia has now reached 312, with more than 4,600 people injured, the country's National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said on Tuesday. While more than 350 people have been rescued from the rubble, hopes are fading for the 290 people still thought to be missing.
Amid the ongoing relief operation, China has dispatched a plane-load of essential supplies and pledged one million U.S. dollars emergency cash aid to support Colombia's relief and reconstruction efforts.
The Chinese government-chartered flight carrying the approximately 80 tonnes of emergency humanitarian supplies arrived in the capital Bogota on Tuesday. It includes 7,000 blankets, 1,900 tents, 15 emergency water purification vehicles, 200 solar lamps, 200 portable spray disinfectors, and 20 diesel generator sets, which are intended for temporary shelters, emergency water and power supplies, disinfection, and providing lighting in the impacted areas.
Alejandro Eder, mayor of the hard-hit city of Cali, extended his thanks to the Chinese government and people for its vital support during a difficult time.
"How this aid will be distributed will also be decided together with Colombia's national government. After all, Cali was affected, but so was a much broader region, including our department of Valle del Cauca, the neighboring department of Choco, and Colombia's Coffee Region," he said in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday.
He said Cali is now transitioning from its immediate emergency response efforts towards a new phase focusing on rebuilding the disaster-hit city, as he sought to send out a message of hope for the future.
"We are now entering the reconstruction phase in Cali. But reconstruction cannot simply mean returning to the Cali we had 10 days ago. We need to build the Cali of the future, a resilient city, a forward-looking city, an inclusive city and a city for our young people. The experience of friendly countries such as China will certainly be very important and very welcome," said Eder.
Mayor of quake-hit Cali extends gratitude to China for disaster relief aid
