NASA has issued an El Niño warning after Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite data showed warm water moving east across the Pacific Ocean toward South America.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the satellite observed a warm Kelvin wave arriving near the South American coast in May. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said such waves often appear before El Niño events.
Josh Willis, a sea level researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and project scientist for Sentinel-6, said the 2026 event began later than the major El Niños of 1997 and 2015. He added that it was “beginning to catch up.”
NASA said several waves of higher, warmer water have appeared in satellite data from 2026. The agency said these waves usually move eastward across the Pacific months before an El Niño develops.
The possible event is a “Super El Niño,” but NASA’s own update framed the signal as early sea-level evidence of an El Niño developing later this year.
NASA said Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich tracks sea-surface height and ocean conditions linked to climate patterns. The Copernicus Sentinel programme says the satellite extends long-term sea-surface height measurements used to monitor oceans.
Read: El Niño Warning Issued As UN Flags Global Weather Risks
El Niño can shift rainfall, heat and storm patterns across several regions. NASA said tracking Kelvin waves helps improve forecasts for weather extremes and coastal hazards.
