El Niño to Peak Late 2026, Early Heatwave Risk Feared

Vietnam's Hydrometeorological Department (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) has announced that the El Niño phenomenon is expected to strengthen further from 2026 to 2027. As of the second week of September, sea surface temperature anomalies in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific have risen by approximately 2 degrees Celsius, reaching a very strong intensity. Based on this forecast, the El Niño phenomenon is projected to peak towards the end of 2026, with a risk of early heatwaves occurring in 2027. Vietnam is one of the countries highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, and extreme weather events caused by El Niño could have severe consequences for agricultural production, water resources, and public health. In particular, the early onset of heat could directly impact crop growth cycles and yields. The Vietnamese government is implementing measures such as improving irrigation facilities, developing climate-resilient crops, and strengthening early warning systems to address these climate change risks. However, the intensification of El Niño will further underscore the importance of these mitigation efforts.