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El Niño has strengthened to strongest on record, Japan weather agency says

By Thomson Reuters Oct 9, 2026 | 12:38 AM

TOKYO, Oct 9 (Reuters) – The El Niño phenomenon ​has strengthened ‌to its strongest on record since September, Japan’s ‌weather ​bureau ⁠said on ⁠Friday, adding that there was a 100% chance ​the conditions will ⁠continue into ⁠the Northern ​hemisphere winter.

The ​sea surface temperature anomaly ‌in the El Niño monitoring region was plus ⁠4.0 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in ⁠September, ‌the highest ⁠since records ​began ‌in 1949, ​the Japan ⁠Meteorological Agency said.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Editing by Chang-Ran ​Kim)