El Nino Watch

Reading a forecast probability

A 70% chance of El Nino means that in 10 similar situations, about 7 would end up in El Nino. It is about likelihood, not intensity.

Forecasts and bulletins

Seasonal forecasts are given as probabilities because the climate has a lot of chaos in it.

  • 70% El Nino does not mean "a 70% strong El Nino". It means El Nino is likely, but a 30% chance of something else remains.
  • 33% for each of three categories would mean "we have no idea" (all equal).
  • Probabilities for impacts (for example "below-normal rain in Thailand") are always less certain than probabilities for El Nino itself, because many other things affect local weather.

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)