United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the world is entering a new era of climate extremes, calling on global leaders to accelerate climate action as a powerful El Niño phenomenon threatens to intensify the effects of global warming.
Guterres said the emerging climate threat is unfolding against the backdrop of a planet already experiencing rising temperatures due to climate change, increasing the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In a statement referencing the latest World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, the UN chief warned that a supersized El Niño is colliding with an already overheated planet, raising concerns about worsening extreme weather conditions.
“The latest @WMO report shows once again that leaders must get serious by cutting emissions faster, accelerating a just transition from fossil fuels and delivering the finance and protection vulnerable countries need,” Guterres said.
The WMO’s State of the Climate Update 2026, released on November 9, 2026, paints a worrying picture of the planet’s changing climate, warning that the effects of global warming are becoming increasingly severe.
According to the report, 2026 is expected to rank among the four warmest years ever recorded, with global average temperatures between January and September standing approximately 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels.
The report also indicates that the past 12 years, from 2015 to 2026, are set to become the warmest period on record, while global sea levels and ocean heat have reached record highs.
The developing El Niño, which is expected to persist into early 2027, is likely to intensify extreme weather risks, including heatwaves, droughts, heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described El Niño as a risk multiplier, explaining that it releases heat stored in the oceans, which are already experiencing unprecedented warming.
“We are supercharging our weather and El Niño will be a risk multiplier,” Saulo said.
The report was released as world leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, for the COP31 climate conference, where climate financing, emissions reduction and protection of vulnerable communities remain key issues.
Guterres’ remarks add to growing calls for governments to move beyond climate commitments and implement stronger measures to address the escalating climate crisis.
