El Nino Watch

Place level (current, 0-4)

One level per place for NOW and the next 7 days, from 9 factors (heat, cold, water, flood, storm, air, wildfire, earthquakes, official warnings). Same names as the Samui watch: Normal, Watch, Prepare, Act, Leave.

Hazards

Each factor is scored 0-4 from real data and shows its value, threshold, source and date. The overall level is:

  • R1: the highest factor, each capped (earthquakes at 2 Prepare; cold, water, flood, air, wildfire and warnings at 3; heat and storm can reach 4).
  • R3: two physical hazards at 2 Prepare or more at the same time give at least 3 Act.
  • If heat, water, flood or storm has no current data, the level is Unknown, never Normal.

For Maenam the detailed Koh Samui watch (with water supply, sea state, ferries...) remains the reference; its level is shown on the Maenam card.

Why it matters for Koh Samui

The current level tells you how each place is doing today. It is not a verdict on the place: a Russian winter cold snap or a Thai dry spell are normal parts of those climates. Use the matrix for the long view.

Thresholds

FactorWatch (1)Prepare (2)Act (3)
Heat: highest feels-like, 7 days>= 39 °C>= 41 °C (1-2 days)>= 41 °C on 3+ days (>= 54 °C: Leave)
Cold: lowest feels-like, 7 days<= -10 °C<= -28 °C<= -40 °C (<= -48 °C: Leave)
Water, tropical profile (Maenam): ERA5 rain, 90 days, % of normal< 75%< 60%< 40% and >= 100 mm short
Water, temperate profile (Normandy, Vladimir): 365 d / 180 d / 90 d, % of normal< 85% / < 75% / < 60%< 75% / < 60% / < 35%< 65% / < 50% / never on 90 d alone; >= 100 mm short
Flood: forecast rain / river> 35 mm in 24 h, or river above its 99th percentile> 90 mm/24 h or 150 mm/72 h, or a 2-year river flood>= 150 mm/24 h or 250 mm/72 h, or a 10-year river flood
Storm: forecast gusts / cyclones>= 75 km/h, or a cyclone within 800 km>= 89 km/h>= 118 km/h, or orange/red cyclone within 500 km (300 km: Leave)
Air: PM2.5 24 h mean> 37.5> 75> 125 µg/m³
Wildfire: VIIRS detections>= 3 within 100 km>= 25 within 50 km>= 100 within 50 km
Earthquakes, 30 days, 300 kmM5+ within 150 kmM6+ (aftershocks possible)M7+ (capped at 2 overall)
Official warningsyellow / region namedorange / severe wordingred

Critical factors: heat, water, flood, storm. A factor whose data is too old cannot say Normal: it becomes unknown.

Sources

Related

ENSO status now

ONI (NOAA CPC)
+1.80 °C, JJA 2026 (previous +1.39 °C)
RONI (NOAA CPC)
+1.36 °C, JJA 2026
Nino 3.4 weekly (NOAA CPC / OISST)
+3.0 °C anomaly, week of 16 Sep 2026 (SST 29.6 °C)