Whether it’s ‘super’ or ‘Godzilla,’ El Niño is already breaking records

Sea surface temperature anomalies in the Pacific's Niño 3.4 region hit 3.11 degrees Celsius this week, according to a Carbon Brief analysis, surpassing the previous record set in November 2015. Scientists say this year's event, colloquially dubbed ‘super’ though the term is not officially used by NOAA or the World Meteorological Organization, is occurring alongside rapid background warming from climate change.

One study projects the event could contribute to as many as 451,000 heat-related deaths worldwide by February. Forecast models now put the odds at 90 percent that the El Niño will remain ‘very strong’ through the end of the year, and researchers say this year may end up the hottest on record.

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