Pacific El Niño Breaks Heat Record, Peak Still Ahead

Pacific waters hit 3.05°C above average on 19 September, beating the 3.02°C daily record from 2015. That Oceanic Niño Index reading — the gauge in the central-eastern Pacific — makes this developing El Niño the strongest on record. By a second measure, the Relative Oceanic Niño Index, it is not yet a record. The peak is expected several weeks later.