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'Unprecedented' El Nino to batter UK with storms
Forecasters said the event could push Pacific sea temperatures more than 3C above normal and make 2027 the warmest year on record.
The Met Office warned on Friday that an unprecedented El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean will likely make 2027 the hottest year on record.
Forecasters report this El Niño is the strongest since at least 1950, with sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific expected to rise by more than 3°C later in 2026.
Summer heatwaves have left 71.3 per cent of England and all of Wales suffering from drought, putting severe pressure on water systems, wildlife, and farmers across Britain.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned last week of potentially heavy rainfall this autumn and winter, as the developing weather pattern shifts conditions after recent heatwaves.
The National Drought Group warns that drought conditions may persist into the new year despite potential rainfall, as natural climate variability compounds climate change stresses.
The UK Met Office warns that the El Niño phenomenon could be the most severe ever experienced in a lifetime, and 2027 could become the hottest year on record.