The central Pacific exceeds 30 C for the first time ever

 From Weatherzone

Sea surface temperatures in the central tropical Pacific Ocean just exceeded 30°C for the first time on record as El Niño continues to gain strength and influence weather patterns on a global scale.

El Niño became established in the Pacific Ocean in the middle of 2026 and has been rapidly gaining strength in the last few months.

Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), published by the University of Maine, reveals that sea surface temperatures in the Niño3.4 region reached 30.06°C on October 5.

According to the NOAA OISST data published by Climate Reanlayzer, this is the first time the sea surface temperature inside the Niño3.4 region has exceeded 30°C. The previous record was 29.82°C on November 17, 2015.

The long-term average Niño3.4 temperature in early October is about 26.7°C, meaning the 30.06°C observed on October 5 was about 3.4°C above the long-term average.

Despite already breaking records, forecast models suggest that this El Niño is still a couple of months away from its peak strength.

Modelling from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicts a peak sometime between November and January, most likely in December. Current ECMWF guidance suggests a possible peak Niño3.4 anomaly between +3.9°C and +4.3°C. If realised, this would be around 1.5°C above the previous record from 2015, which is a colossal margin for a long-term climate record.