# El Niño phenomenon development in Ecuador

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/el-nio-phenomenon-development-in-ecuador
> Updated: 2026-09-06T04:03:27.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 3.

Ocean temperatures off the coast of Ecuador have remained significantly higher than seasonal norms, with specialists from the Instituto Oceanográfico y Antártico de la Armada (Inocar) reporting that expected cooling has not occurred. Research from CENAIM near Santa Elena identified a surface temperature anomaly of approximately 0.8°C, while subsurface anomalies reached nearly 4°C due to a Kelvin wave transporting heat across the Pacific.

In response to these signals, the Ecuadorian government launched ‘Alístate Ecuador’, a digital visualizer hosted on the ‘Alertas Ecuador’ portal. Presented by National Secretary for Risk Management Carolina Lozano, the tool is intended to strengthen national preparedness by providing information on shelters, volunteers, and humanitarian kits. The platform also allows users to review historical data from 2010 to 2026 and identify high-exposure sectors to help reduce the impacts of potential emergencies.

As the phenomenon continues, Ecuador faces significant risks of electricity supply shortages and service interruptions throughout 2026. An asymmetric El Niño pattern is causing severe meteorological droughts in the eastern watershed and the Austro region, threatening 33 hydroelectric plants that account for 83% of the nation's total hydraulic capacity. Unlike the 1997–1998 event, current patterns are expected to produce abundant rainfall only along the coast, leaving the Amazon and eastern regions dry. By late June 2026, water levels in the Mazar, Paute, Agoyán, and Minas San Francisco basins had approached critical thresholds, with the Paute River recording an average flow of 114.13 m³/s, lower than the 119.45 m³/s recorded during the 1997 crisis.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-06: Ecuador faces power shortage risks due to El Niño

Ecuador faces potential power shortages in 2026 as an asymmetric El Niño pattern causes severe droughts in the eastern watershed, threatening 83% of the nation's hydroelectric capacity.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ecuador-faces-power-shortage-risks-due-to-el-nio

### 2026-09-05: Ecuador launches digital tool to prepare for El Niño phenomenon

Ecuador has launched ‘Alístate Ecuador’, a digital tool to help authorities and citizens prepare for the El Niño phenomenon by mapping risks, resources, and historical disaster data.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ecuador-launches-digital-tool-to-prepare-for-el-nio-phenomenon

### 2026-09-01: Ecuador ocean temperatures signal potential El Niño development

Rising ocean temperatures and subsurface warming off Ecuador's coast indicate the potential development of the El Niño phenomenon for 2026-2027, with significant anomalies detected.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ecuador-ocean-temperatures-signal-potential-el-nio-development

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Cite as: El Niño phenomenon development in Ecuador. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/el-nio-phenomenon-development-in-ecuador