The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has officially declared the arrival of El Niño, with climate models suggesting it could become the strongest event ever recorded in the modern era.

El Niño is a climate phenomenon caused by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the central tropical Pacific, which can persist for up to a year and significantly influence global weather patterns.

Despite widespread rainfall across Australia in recent weeks, meteorologists say El Niño is an observation of ocean and atmospheric conditions rather than a direct forecast of immediate weather impacts.

Experts warn that as El Niño strengthens, Australia is likely to experience a drier second half of the year, with below-average rainfall expected across many southern and eastern regions.

The climate event is also associated with hotter daytime temperatures, increased bushfire risk, shorter snow seasons, delayed tropical monsoons, and fewer tropical cyclones.

Forecasters say the current rate of warming in the Pacific is the fastest observed since 1943, raising concerns that the 2026 El Niño could surpass previous records and become one of the most significant climate events in history.