El Niño intensifies, prompting emergency in Peru and drought warnings for Central America

Peruvian Navy officials warned that the most severe phase of the current El Niño event will occur between December 2026 and March 2027. Sea‑surface temperatures off the Peruvian coast are up to 6 °C above normal, causing anomalous waves, port closures and a shift of anchovy stocks southward. The government declared a 60‑day state of emergency for nearly 800 districts, especially in the Piura region, to address the heightened risk of heavy rains, flooding and agricultural disruption.

The World Meteorological Organization, speaking for the United Nations, also forecast an extreme strengthening of El Niño during July‑September this year. Models predict sustained high sea‑surface temperatures that will raise the likelihood of intense heatwaves, prolonged droughts and highly uneven rainfall across the Caribbean, north‑west South America and much of Central America, threatening crops and freshwater supplies throughout the region.