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ClimateQuiet 7d · day 7

UN warns water cycle swinging to extremes as El Niño intensifies

The planet's freshwater reserves are depleting while droughts and floods become more erratic, the World Meteorological Organization reported.

newest coverage 6d agosummary written 4d ago3 pieces4 likes & upvotes MastodonNewswires

What to know

  • Earth's freshwater storage—groundwater, glaciers, and lakes—has declined for a decade, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells now showing abnormal conditions.
  • Glaciers lost 1,400 gigatonnes of ice between 2023 and 2025, their fourth consecutive year of significant loss across all regions.
  • An unprecedented El Niño is expected to worsen water cycle extremes, increasing drought in some areas and flooding in others, while only 36% of river basins saw normal flows in 2025.

Celeste SauloCeleste Saulo WMO secretary-generalWorld Meteorological Organization UN agency

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Sep 17, 3 AM; 3 pieces over 7 days (1 article · 2 posts) Sep 17, 3 AM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Sep 17, 5 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 9 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 1 PM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 5 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 9 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 1 AM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 5 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 1
Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. background

    Strong El Niño expected to intensify water cycle extremes — The WMO warned that an unprecedented El Niño pattern—expected to be the strongest since records began four decades ago—will increase drought risk in some areas and flooding in others, compounding the already erratic water cycle trends.

  2. background

    Groundwater levels fall in majority of monitored wells worldwide — Nearly two-thirds of monitored wells showed conditions outside historical norms in 2025, indicating a global groundwater decline. WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo warned that these 'slow reserves' traditionally served as the planet's savings account but are now being depleted.

  3. background

    Glaciers shed 1,400 gigatonnes of ice as multi-year decline accelerates — Between 2023 and 2025, glaciers lost a cumulative 1,400 gigatonnes of water globally—roughly equal to 560 million Olympic-sized swimming pools or about a third of the world's annual freshwater withdrawals. This marks the fourth consecutive year of significant glacier ice loss across all regions.

  4. 1

    WMO releases annual State of Global Water Resources report

    The UN's World Meteorological Organization released its annual State of Global Water Resources report, warning that Earth's freshwater storage has continued its decade-long decline. The report found that 2025 was among the driest years for rivers in over three decades, with only 36 percent of river basins globally experiencing normal flow conditions.

    “The planet's water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, swinging between too little and too much, the United Nations has warned, with an unprecedented El Niño expected to exacerbate the long-term trend.”
    — UN World Meteorological Organization
    • Snoro@mastodon.social

      The UN has warned Earth's water cycle is becoming more extreme, with worsening droughts and floods. Freshwater reserves, glaciers and groundwater continue to decline as a strong El Niño intensifies. The planet's water cycle is becoming increasingly erratic, swinging between too little and too much, the United Nations has warned, with an…

      Snoro@mastodon.socialMastodon6d ago2▲view on Mastodon ↗
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    • A UN report warns that the global water cycle is increasingly erratic - oscillating between prolonged drought and extreme flooding in ways that are straining agricultural systems and freshwater suppli # science # climatechange # water https:// phys.org/news/2026-09-world-un predictable.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into…

      Econopass@flipboard.comMastodon6d ago2▲view on Mastodon ↗
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