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El Niño Set to Be Strongest in 80 Years

8/17/2026

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Story summary
  • El Niño has returned and is on track to be the strongest in nearly 80 years.
  • Scientists say the strong El Niño is nudging up global temperatures and prompting dry spells and crop failures.
  • Ethiopia’s highlands are enduring one of their driest summer stretches in four decades.
  • Kenya is seeing a poor maize harvest.
  • Panama has not seen a major storm since early May, raising concerns for water-dependent canal operations.