WMO reported on 22 October 2026 that the current El Niño event could exceed the monitoring range used for the past four decades and is expected to peak toward the end of the year, with impacts lasting well beyond. The agency and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a joint call for urgent, coordinated anticipatory action. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said forecasting and early warnings could help prevent extreme weather from becoming a humanitarian emergency, while warning the window for preparedness will not stay open indefinitely.

An outlook released on 21 October 2026 pointed to heightened heavy-rain and flood risks in parts of East Africa during the October–December rainy season, drier conditions in Southern Africa from November, and heat, rainfall deficits and wildfire hazards in Southeast Asia. Parts of western South America had already seen severe flooding, while drought risk was rising in parts of Central America, the southern Caribbean and the Amazon.

WMO said its Coordination Mechanism for humanitarians curates authoritative weather, climate and water information and co-designs tailored products. Yi Wang, who leads the mechanism, said it had delivered more than 750 tailored products since 2022. A side event at the SERCOM-4 session drew around 50 participants, who discussed stronger collaboration and broader engagement.