El Niño continued to Grow Stronger. NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren Dauphin
Satellite data showed that the 2026 El Niño continued to grow stronger in early June.
El Niño, a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, returned in June 2026. Measurements from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite revealed rising sea levels across parts of the Pacific, a sign that the event was intensifying.
This recurring phenomenon can influence weather worldwide, often bringing wetter conditions to the southwestern United States while increasing the risk of drought in countries such as Indonesia and Australia. On June 11, NOAA officially declared an El Niño after sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific remained at least 0.5°C above average for several months.
Scientists also monitor sea surface height because warmer water expands and causes ocean levels to rise. As a result, higher-than-normal sea levels can indicate where large amounts of heat are building up in the ocean.
The map above shows sea surface height anomalies on June 8, 2026. Red areas represent higher-than-average sea levels, white indicates near-normal conditions, and blue shows lower-than-average levels.
The data were collected by the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, launched in 2020 through a NASA and European Space Agency partnership, and analyzed by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Earlier in 2026, the satellite detected large waves of warm water, known as Kelvin waves, moving from the western Pacific toward the east. These waves are often early signs of El Niño development.
Sea surface height measurements provide valuable information about heat stored beneath the ocean surface. A deep reservoir of warm water can have a much greater impact on weather and climate than a thin layer of warm water at the surface.
According to JPL scientist Severine Fournier, conditions in the western Pacific on June 8 resembled those seen in 1997, the year a very powerful El Niño developed. However, warming in the eastern Pacific has progressed more slowly in 2026, with fewer Kelvin waves observed so far.
Why it matters:
A strengthening El Niño can significantly affect weather patterns around the world, influencing rainfall, droughts, storms, and temperatures. Satellite measurements of sea surface height help scientists track the amount of heat stored in the ocean, providing an early indication of how strong the event may become and improving seasonal weather and climate forecasts.
source NASA
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