Latest status of El Niño and La Niña
El Niño and La Niña
Latest status (March 2026)
In the past month or so, the sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific rose and remained near normal on the whole. Based on the latest oceanic observations as well as forecasts by a number of climate models around the world, the region are projected to continue its warming trend for spring and summer 2026. The sea surface temperatures of the region are expected to be normal to above normal in this spring, with a possibility of developing into an El Niño event in the second half of this year.

Figure 1 Sea surface temperature anomalies of 22 February 2026 – 21 March 2026 in degree Celsius.
Note:
The next update will be available in the latter half of April 2026.
Related links:
What are El Niño, La Niña, ENSO?
The impact of El Niño and La Niña on the climate of Hong Kong
Seasonal and annual rainfall charts
Blogs relating to El Niño/La Niña
References on El Niño and La Niña
Seasonal forecast | Annual outlook | Climate change
For further information on this webpage, please contact Ms. M Y Chan (tel:2926 3102, email:mychan@hko.gov.hk)