The US Climate Prediction Center reported an 81 percent chance that the current El Niño will rank among the strongest on record when it peaks between October and December, with sea surface temperatures 1.2°C above average in the Niño 3.4 region. The agency also assessed a 97 percent probability that the event will continue through early spring 2027. Typical regional effects include drier conditions in Australia, wetter winters in East Africa and the southern United States, and higher global temperatures.