El Niño 2026 impacts – floods, fires, heat, water, power

Timeline

1. about 4 hours ago

   [POLITICS] 3 sources

   Colombia government launches energy‑saving measures to curb electricity bills during El Niño

   Colombia’s government urges households to save electricity during El Niño, clarifying no 40 % bill discount exists and promoting efficiency programs to lower costs and ease grid pressure.

2. 7 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 6 sources

   Colombia's power grid faces possible energy rationing as water reserves dwindle

   Colombia’s grid faces a 10 % supply gap amid high demand and low hydro capacity, prompting fears of electricity and gas rationing, while EPM boosts reservoir storage to offset a strong El Niño.

3. 13 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Colombia's shift to hard‑discount supermarkets transforms household spending

   Bancolombia research shows Colombian shoppers are favoring hard‑discount supermarkets, with their share of household spend climbing from 21 % to 55 % between 2019‑2026, driven by price pressure and changing消费行为

4. 14 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Colombia's Arauca floods hit 16,000 families, spur farmer aid demands

   Floods in Colombia's Arauca region displaced over 16,000 families and affected 191,000 livestock, leading farmers to demand credit relief, VAT refunds and longer loan terms.

5. 14 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Colombia faces imminent electricity and gas rationing

   Colombia risks electricity and gas rationing as demand outstrips supply; severe El Niño, fuel limits and grid constraints leave the SIN covering only 90% of peak load.

6. 15 days ago

   [INTERNATIONAL] 20 sources

   Panama Canal faces water shortage as 2026 El Niño intensifies

   The 2026 El Niño is intensifying, threatening Panama Canal water levels, suppressing Atlantic hurricanes with strong wind shear, and driving extreme heat and drought risks across Colombia, Ecuador and Chile.

7. 16 days ago

   [POLITICS] 6 sources

   Colombia's Education Ministry orders schools to prepare for possible El Niño in 2026

   Colombia's Education Ministry, citing a 61% chance of El Niño in late 2026, ordered schools to update risk plans, identify vulnerable sites, ensure water, improve ventilation and train staff to safeguard school

8. 16 days ago

   [POLITICS] 7 sources

   Colombia issues alerts on rising sea levels and water‑use inspections amid El Niño concerns

   DIMAR alerts Pacific Colombian coast of a major tide surge in July 2026, while Cundinamarca ramps up water‑use inspections as El Niño looms.

9. 16 days ago

   [BUSINESS] 2 sources

   Colombia's Santander coffee farms face El Niño threat as Huila prepares for up to 3 °C warming

   Santander coffee growers warn El Niño could cut yields in 2026, while a study says Huila may warm 2‑3 °C by 2050, raising flood and biodiversity risks.

10. 18 days ago

    [POLITICS] 8 sources

    Peru Congress cuts S/200 million from supplementary credit, halting Central Highway start

    Peru’s Congress approved a supplemental credit bill but stripped S/200 million for the New Central Highway, delaying its first phase and prompting criticism from congressman Edgard Reymundo.

11. 18 days ago

    [HEALTH] 5 sources

    Colombia forest fires trigger emergency alerts in Barranquilla and Cali

    Forest fires in Colombia’s Isla Salamanca and Cali’s Cristo Rey hill prompted emergency alerts, air‑quality warnings, and calls for prevention amid a heat wave and El Niño conditions.

12. 18 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Arauca Mayor Reports Falling Water Levels After Flood Breach Closed

    Arauca’s mayor says sealing a 300‑metre river breach has lowered water in many flood‑hit neighborhoods, though some areas still face high levels; monitoring and aid continue.

13. 19 days ago

    [POLITICS] 7 sources

    Colombia's eastern departments flood, displacing over 16,000 families

    Floods in eastern Colombia hit 24 municipalities, displacing 16,769 families, closing major roads and prompting army‑led rescues and aid distribution.

14. 19 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 3 sources

    UBS warns El Niño could hit Latin American economies, Colombia most vulnerable

    UBS warns a strong El Niño could spur inflation and higher rates in Latin America, with Colombia most at risk.

15. 19 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 5 sources

    Cundinamarca regional agency launches climate preparation route with local industry

    Colombia's Cundinamarca regional corporation launched the 'Ruta de preparación climática' with industry to tackle an anticipated severe 2026 El Niño drought, promoting water‑saving technologies, circular‑econom

16. 21 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 5 sources

    Colombia warns of $204 bn per hour blackout risk as El Niño intensifies

    El Niño’s rise threatens Colombia with a $204 bn per hour blackout risk, while Ecuador adds 70 MW of thermal power and upgrades its grid to guard against power cuts.

17. 21 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Peru's central bank cites El Niño and Middle‑East tensions as inflation risks

    Peru's central bank flags El Niño and Middle‑East tensions as inflation threats while Senamhi predicts a 99% chance of a strong 2027 El Niño, urging preparedness.

18. 22 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    Colombia's agricultural exports face 80% risk from early El Niño

    Analdex warns early El Niño could threaten nearly 80 % of Colombia’s non‑mineral agricultural exports in late 2026, endangering coffee, banana, flowers, avocado, sugar, palm oil and aquaculture, and calls for政府

19. 22 days ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources

    Cundinamarca Authority Reports Positive Reservoir Balance Ahead of El Niño

    Cundinamarca's regional water agency reports improved reservoir levels for early 2026 but warns of an upcoming high‑intensity El Niño, urging water conservation.

20. 23 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 15 sources

    Arauca and Casanare flood disaster prompts humanitarian corridor request

    Heavy rains flooded Arauca, Casanare and Boyacá, displacing thousands, destroying infrastructure and prompting a Colombian request for a Venezuelan humanitarian corridor.

21. 23 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    EPM warns blockades could disrupt 16% of Colombia's power supply

    EPM warned that blockades in northeast Antioquia could halt five hydro plants that supply about 16 % of Colombia’s electricity (1,617 MW), amid illegal mining and El Niño‑related low water, and has alerted the‑

22. 23 days ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources

    Colombia Energy Minister Edwin Palma Calls Suspension of Power Transition Irresponsible Amid El Niño

    Colombia’s energy minister Edwin Palma says suspending the power transition ahead of El Niño is irresponsible and could endanger vulnerable people.

23. 24 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 4 sources

    Colombia lifts 1.5 million from energy poverty while warning of El Niño‑driven power risks

    Colombia cut energy poverty, helping 1.5 million people, but experts fear El Niño‑driven drought could strain electricity supply in 2026‑27.

24. 25 days ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources

    Colombia struggles to address El Niño impacts despite early warnings

    Colombia faces El Niño‑related droughts, water shortages and fires as weak coordination and limited preventive plans hinder response despite early alerts.

25. 26 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 11 sources

    Peru faces $3 billion losses from upcoming El Niño Costero

    Peru could lose $3 billion from the El Niño Costero, affecting agriculture, fisheries and millions of people, while early rains threaten infrastructure and prompt calls for stronger prevention measures.

26. 29 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 9 sources

    El Niño set to intensify globally, raising heat, drought and flood risks

    UN warns El Niño will intensify to a strong episode by July‑September, raising heat, drought and flood risks worldwide; regional forecasts cite wetter Chile, heightened fire and water stress in Colombia, flood‑

27. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    Ecuador, Colombia strengthen farming sector ahead of El Niño

    Ecuador will send ~1,000 agricultural technicians for El Niño preparedness, while Colombia’s Boyacá department rolls out drought‑resilience training for 400 cattle farmers.

28. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 7 sources

    El Niño 2026‑27 drives preparedness measures and economic forecasts in Peru, Ecuador and beyond

    El Niño 2026‑27 spurs growth forecasts in Peru, $19.7 M contingency plans and $1.3 B loss estimates in Ecuador, maritime route shifts, and water‑security measures in Colombia.

29. about 1 month ago

    [BUSINESS] 4 sources

    Colombia faces rising food inflation, consumer credit shifts, and energy security reforms

    Colombia's June data show food inflation climbing to 0.49% monthly, consumer credit use rising with point‑of‑sale financing boosting sales, an energy plan targeting new thermal capacity, and a proposal to cut ‑

30. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Continuing Floods Hit San José del Guaviare, Colombia as El Niño Persists

    Flooding persists in San José del Guaviare, Colombia, affecting over 1,000 families despite a slight drop in river levels, as El Niño brings heavy rains and a red alert remains in force.

31. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    Chile warns of heightened flood risk as El Niño intensifies

    Chile's central region faces heightened flood danger as El Niño may intensify to very strong by 2026‑27, prompting university experts to urge stronger monitoring and prevention, especially in vulnerable valleys

32. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 12 sources

    2026 El Niño expected to intensify, prompting alerts from Peru to Greece

    A strong 2026 El Niño, with a 63 % chance of being “very strong”, is set to trigger floods, droughts, heatwaves and energy strain across Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Tonga, Italy and Greece.

33. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 9 sources

    Peru's Finance Ministry Secures $500 Million Credit, Raising Disaster Funds to $2.5 B for El Niño

    Peru’s MEF adds a US$ 500 million contingent credit, raising total disaster funds to over US$ 2.5 billion and supporting El Niño prevention, mitigation and response.

34. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Caldas education authorities implement El Niño preparedness measures

    Caldas’ schools are preparing for a possible El Niño dry spell in 2026, focusing on water supply, food‑program continuity, fire prevention and emergency planning.

35. about 1 month ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 4 sources

    Municipalities in Mauritius, Colombia and Chile Advance Disaster Risk and Food Security Plans

    Ceres (Mauritius) plans flood defenses, Santa Marta (Colombia) holds community risk‑mapping, and San Esteban (Chile) marks a year of a food‑security market aiding 1,500 families.

36. about 1 month ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources

    Severe floods strike Segovia, Antioquia, Colombia

    Intense rains on June 17‑18 caused severe flooding in Segovia, Antioquia, affecting 18 neighborhoods, displacing families and prompting emergency shelters, with no deaths reported.

37. about 2 months ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    Colombia prepares for severe El Niño impacts with fire and water‑scarcity warnings

    Colombia's regional authorities warn that a strong El Niño in late 2026‑27 could trigger forest fires and water shortages, prompting CAR to flag high‑risk towns in Cundinamarca and Boyacá and Nariño to launch a

38. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources

    Colombia's Energy Ministry rolls out El Niño preparedness plan for power and gas

    Colombia's energy ministry unveiled an El Niño response plan with a monitoring committee, household incentives and penalties, and a safeguard for gas supply during Cartagena plant maintenance.

39. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 8 sources

    Colombia braces for early, potentially intense El Niño event through 2027

    Colombia’s Ideam reports an early, potentially very strong El Niño arriving three months ahead of schedule, with >95 % chance of persisting into 2027, threatening water supplies, agriculture, hydro‑electricity,

40. about 2 months ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources

    Severe Rainfall Triggers Over 600 Emergencies Across Colombian Communities in Early 2026

    Over 600 rain‑related emergencies hit Colombia in early 2026, causing floods, landslides and infrastructure damage, affecting thousands of families and prompting coordinated local and regional response.

41. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources

    AES Colombia mobilizes heavy equipment to clear landslides in Boyacá

    Heavy rains in Boyacá, Colombia triggered landslides on the Transversal del Sisga, prompting AES Colombia to deploy heavy machinery and spend 150‑200 million pesos to keep the Chivor hydroelectric plant running

42. about 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Colombia's Agriculture Ministry earmarks $14.2 bn for water infrastructure to mitigate El Niño

    Colombia’s Agriculture Ministry approved over $14.2 million to subsidize water‑infrastructure and equipment for small farmers, covering up to 40% of credit costs to offset El Niño impacts.

43. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources

    Huila prepares for high‑probability El Niño impact on water and agriculture

    Huila's CAM alerts a high‑probability El Niño, urging water‑saving measures to prevent agricultural losses and supply shortages as the event approaches year‑end.

44. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources

    Municipalities in Colombia and Spain Boost Emergency Preparedness Amid Climate Risks

    Dosquebradas (Colombia) handled 118 rainy‑season emergencies and is preparing for dry‑season fire risks, while Elda (Spain) approved a 2026 emergency plan adding power‑outage scenarios to its risk portfolio.

45. 2 months ago

    [POLITICS] 5 sources

    Colombia braces for El Niño: energy shortfalls and Antioquia launches water‑fire contingency

    Colombia faces potential energy blackouts as El Niño looms, while Antioquia activates water‑fire contingency plans to mitigate drought and fire risks.