Venezuela's Weather Institute Confirms Official Onset of El Niño

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (INAMEH) announced that the El Niño climate pattern has entered an active phase across Venezuela. Using data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the institute said the ocean‑atmosphere system now exhibits the characteristic warming of Pacific waters that drives the phenomenon.

INAMEH warned that the event is expected to strengthen and influence the country’s weather through the northern‑hemisphere winter of 2026‑2027, bringing higher-than‑average temperatures and a marked reduction in rainfall. Authorities highlighted the risk of prolonged droughts and increased heat stress, and pledged continuous real‑time monitoring to assess regional impacts. The World Meteorological Organization echoed the concerns, noting that El Niño typically raises global temperatures and can trigger extreme weather patterns worldwide.