Latest status of El Niño and La Niña
El Niño and La Niña
Latest status (January 2026)
In the past month or so, the sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific rose slightly and became near normal on the whole in December 2025. Based on the latest oceanic observations as well as forecasts by a number of climate models around the world, the sea surface temperatures of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific are expected to be normal to below normal for the rest of January 2026. With the region warming up gradually, the sea surface temperatures of the region are forecast to remain near normal for the rest of this winter and spring 2026.
Figure 1 Sea surface temperature anomalies of 21 December 2025 – 17 January 2026 in degree Celsius.
Note:
The next update will be available in the latter half of February 2026.
Related links:
What are El Niño, La Niña, ENSO?
The impact of El Niño and La Niña on the climate of Hong Kong
Seasonal and annual rainfall charts
Blogs relating to El Niño/La Niña
References on El Niño and La Niña
Seasonal forecast | Annual outlook | Climate change
For further information on this webpage, please contact Ms. M Y Chan (tel:2926 3102, email:mychan@hko.gov.hk)