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ClimateFading · day 3

Record El Niño threatens Asia with severe drought, global food crisis

Experts warn of strongest El Niño in living memory, potentially pushing 49 million into food insecurity by 2027.

newest coverage 6h agosummary written 1d ago7 pieces Google NewsNewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • A record-strength El Niño is underway with 69% probability of being the strongest since record-keeping began in 1950, forecast to peak in December 2026.
  • Southeast Asia faces compounding crises: wildfires, depleted water supplies (Jakarta's reservoir dropping), damaged fisheries, and drought—while regional governments lack financial reserves to respond due to the Iran war's energy and fertilizer impacts.
  • The U.N. World Food Program warns El Niño could push at least 49 million additional people into acute food insecurity by end of 2027, with worst impacts in Central America, southern Africa, and South/Southeast Asia.

“This intensifying El Nino may be the "strongest in living memory," according to the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service.”

U.K. national weather and climate service · PBS NewsHour / Mercury News ↗ · Sep 21

Paul Teng Researcher, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak InstituteKareff Rafisura Chief, Disaster Risk Reduction Division, U.N. ESCAPErma Yulihastin Researcher, Indonesia's Research Center for Climate and AtmosphereUnited Nations World Food Program Global food security agency

Record El Niño threatens Asia with severe drought, global food crisis
pbs.org

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 22, 4 AM; 7 pieces over 3 days (6 articles · 1 post) Sep 21, 10 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Sep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Sep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Yesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 123
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 12:58 AM ET
  1. 3

    Indonesia's climate research center warns El Niño entering "super phase"

    Erma Yulihastin from Indonesia's Research Center for Climate and Atmosphere warned that El Niño has only just begun its "super phase," indicating more severe impacts ahead as the phenomenon is forecast to peak in December.

  2. 2

    Asian governments have depleted reserves, less capacity to cope with compounding crises

    Southeast Asia is already beset by an energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran. Governments have been drawing on financial reserves to mitigate higher energy costs and scarce fertilizer supplies, leaving them with less capacity to handle the intensifying El Niño, which is forecast to peak in December.

    “El Nino is only compounding all the other problems that we see.”
    — Paul Teng, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
  3. 1

    U.N. warns El Niño could push 49 million into acute food insecurity by 2027

    The United Nations' World Food Program warns that El Niño could push at least 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027. The worst impacts are expected in Central America and southern Africa, with significant effects anticipated in eastern Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

    1. 2 outlets Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with drought, potentially raising food prices globally

      first by Mercury News, 1d ago · also Toronto Star

  4. background

    El Niño fuels wildfires and water depletion across Southeast Asia — Wildfires are torching forests and peatlands in Indonesia, sending up toxic haze. Water levels in Jakarta's major reservoir supplying 42 million people are dropping, and the ruins of 11 villages previously inundated by the reservoir have emerged as the water recedes.

  5. background

    Global oceans hit record temperatures as El Niño intensifies — Global ocean temperatures reached new records in August 2026 as the climate warms, with this year's seas already hotter than average. The U.K.'s national weather and climate service warns El Niño may be the "strongest in living memory," while NOAA reports a 69% chance this will be the strongest recorded El Niño since 1950.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with severe drought, potentially threatening global food security

    first by PBS NewsHour, 1d ago · also CTV News

    1 more headline
  2. 2 outlets Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with drought, potentially raising food prices

    first by MillenniumPost, 1d ago · also Telegraph India

    1 more headline