NASA detects signs of a new El Niño event

In June 2026, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed that the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite detected a major El Niño event brewing in the Pacific.

By measuring sea surface height, scientists identified a massive pulse of warm water moving eastward, driven by Kelvin waves.

The event is forming on top of an already rising global temperature baseline, leading to fears that it could become a 'super' event, potentially rivaling the historic extremes of 1997.

The impacts of such an event are global, ranging from increased flooding in California and South America to severe droughts in Southeast Asia and Africa.

Furthermore, it shifts hurricane and typhoon patterns, posing challenges for agriculture and global trade.

NASA’s precise satellite data is now more critical than ever, allowing meteorologists to track these changes in real-time.