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El Niño under way and threatens weather extremes, NOAA and WMO scientists say

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the World Meteorological Organization said tropical Pacific temperatures had crossed the threshold and an El Niño event has officially begun. Risk rose for Brazilian soya, Argentine maize and Chilean copper supply; CME soya futures climbed 2.3% a bushel.

Soybean field stretching to the horizon under a cloudy sky
Soybean field stretching to the horizon under a cloudy skyPhoto: Tom Fisk / Pexels
BBC Latin America2 h agoBVMF SCCO
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NOAA Climate Prediction Center Director Michelle L'Heureux told a briefing that "central-eastern Pacific surface temperatures have crossed the 0.5 degree Celsius three-month average threshold." WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said "the event is likely to peak in December 2026 in the moderate-to-strong category."

The South American risk map: drought probability is elevated in Brazil's centre-west soya belt; rainfall for Argentina's Pampas maize season may be disrupted; Chilean copper mining could run below capacity under a rain-heavy El Niño. CONAB chief Edegar Pretto said "harvest estimates will be updated within two weeks."

CME soya futures climbed 2.3% per bushel to $13.80, maize rose 1.4% to $4.95; LME copper slipped from $9,850 to $9,770. ICCO cocoa is also gaining a premium on West Africa risk. Rabobank agricultural commodities strategist Andrick Payen wrote that "second-half forecasts will be revised alongside the El Niño strength assessment." Not investment advice.

CommoditiesEnergyTradeBVMFSCCOSouth AmericaBBC Latin America
Source: BBC Latin America
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This article is an AI-curated summary of the original story published by BBC Latin America. The illustration is a stock photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels and is not from the original story.

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