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NewsWPLG Local 10 – Main FeedAugust 27, 2026Miami-Dade

Study finds El Nino weather events are intensifying due to human-caused climate change

A new study published in the journal Science indicates that El Nino weather events have become 36% stronger since the pre-industrial era, with the rate of intensification accelerating over the last 40 years. Researchers suggest this trend is linked to rising global temperatures caused by human activity, specifically the burning of fossil fuels.

climate changeEl Ninooceanographyscientific researchweather patterns
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Why It Matters

Stronger events increase the frequency and severity of global climate hazards, including heat waves, droughts, and floods, which can result in trillions of dollars in economic damage and threaten public safety.

Key Facts

  • El Nino events are currently 36% stronger than they were before the industrial age.
  • The intensification of El Nino events has accelerated by 16% over the last 40 years.
  • The current El Nino is forecast to be one of the strongest on record in the coming months.
  • Researchers analyzed 29 coral fossils from the Galapagos Islands to reconstruct climate data dating back 900 years.
  • An El Nino is defined as a three-month average of equatorial Pacific water temperatures at least 0.5 degrees Celsius above normal.
  • The current weekly El Nino measurement is 2.7 degrees Celsius above normal.
  • The study links the increase in El Nino strength to the rise in global temperatures caused by human-driven greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Some scientists dispute the findings, arguing that the coral data conflicts with recent instrumental observations of water temperatures near the Galapagos.

Who's Mentioned

personJohn Bruno“Marine scientist at the University of North Carolina.”personJulia Cole“Lead author of the study and paleoclimate scientist at the University of Michiga”personMichael Mann“Climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.”personBoris Worm“Marine scientist at Dalhousie University.”personKim Cobb“Coral and climate scientist at Brown University.”organizationUniversity of Michigan“Academic institution of the lead author.”organizationScience“Journal that published the study.”