South Africans can expect an intensified El Niño, to start this Spring.
Meteorologists at the South African Weather Service (SAWS) said it would become the strongest event in living memory.
It is characterised by a 3-monthly averaged sea surface temperature anomalies of over 1,5°C and could even get 2°C warmer than normal, over the eastern central tropical Pacific Ocean.
Meteorologists have also confirmed the possibility of an excess of 3°C threshold.
The latest seasonal forecast for the October to December 2026 period, depicts a likelihood of below-normal rainfall, over most of South Africa.
They already expect 2027, to be the warmest year ever recorded, due to the very strong El Niño expected in 2026/27.
Picture: WMO