World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Confirms Onset of El Niño

Exam-focused facts from the 11 June 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed the onset of El Niño, noting an 80 per cent chance of emergence between June and August and a 90 per cent probability thereafter.
Tropical Pacific Ocean temperature readings are currently 6°C above average, fueling the current El Niño event.
El Niño and La Niña are opposite phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is one of the most powerful naturally occurring climate patterns on Earth.
El Niño is characterized by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific, typically occurring every two to seven years and lasting nine to 12 months.
ENSO events are classified into four categories: weak, moderate, strong, or very strong.