Someone has looked at the temperatures beneath the Pacific and come up against a terrible forecast for next year

A large pocket of warm water is moving eastward beneath the equatorial Pacific, echoing conditions seen before major El Niño events.

Forecast models have raised the odds of an El Niño developing before summer, prompting meteorologists to urge caution.

NOAA and ECMWF say the signals are concerning but not yet definitive, so the outlook remains uncertain.

If a strong El Niño forms in 2027, it could intensify global weather extremes on an already warmer planet.