Global weather forecasters predict the strongest El Niño in a decade will build in late 2026, bringing hotter, drier conditions to much of Asia. El Niño is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean , which typically lasts between nine to twelve months, according to the WMO. A clear ​shift ⁠has been observed in the Equatorial Pacific, with sea-surface temperatures rising rapidly, suggesting a ⁠high likelihood of El Niño conditions developing between May ​and ⁠July this year, it said. The World ⁠Meteorological Organization (WMO) has predicted the return ​of El Niño weather from as early as May, with the potential to affect global temperatures and rainfall patterns. "After a period of neutral conditions at the start of the year, climate models are now strongly aligned, and there is high confidence in the onset of El Niño, followed by further intensification in the months that follow," said Wilfran Moufouma Okia, Chief of Climate Prediction at the WMO in a statement.…