Why ‘Super El Niño’ Could Bring a Polar Vortex to the UK
Published 15:49 4 Oct 2026 GMT+1
The UK has been warned to prepare for extreme weather as the El Niño cycle intensifies
The current El Niño cycle could lead to a 'polar vortex' over the winter due to an unusual phenomenon.
El Niño is one half the ENSO cycle, which stands for 'El Niño Southern Oscillation', and happens when the surface of the Pacific Ocean rises above a certain temperature.
This has a huge knock on effect on weather patterns around the world, with the precise impact of El Niño on the weather depending on the location.
Strong El Niño can cause widespread destruction, and scientists are warning that the current El Niño cycle is the strongest on record.
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It's so strong in fact that it has been informally referred to as a 'Super El Niño', though this is not a formal name, and even a 'Godzilla' El Niño by some.
A separate weather effect could see El Niño being involved in another weather effect, this one in the Arctic.
The phenomenon is the Arctic polar vortex, which are effectively the winds which circle the North Pole at the top of the globe, creating a vortex effect, Metro reports.
Disruption to the polar vortex from the powerful El Niño could make it so that more cold air moves southwards towards Europe and North America.
El Niño can have a wide ranging impact depending on location
That potentially creates an increased chance of heavy snow and blizzard conditions in those regions as the impact of El Niño begins to take effect, potentially creating a colder winter.
A weakening of a polar vortex which can be associated with El Niño sometimes leads to colder north easterly and northern winds to overpower the warmer North Atlantic drift that has a big impact on the weather in the UK.
In addition to the risk of blizzards, the effect 'heightens the potential' of rainy weather and stormy conditions, which in turn could also lead to a higher risk of flooding.
Met Office climate spokesperson Grahame Madge said: "The El Niño event is still developing in the tropical Pacific and already it has surpassed the magnitude of previous events including the one in 2015/16.
"Globally, an El Niño event has several impacts, including altering rainfall patterns and increasing global temperature overall."
El Niño hinges on the Pacific Ocean (Getty Stock)
It comes as the UK government has issued statements warning brits to stock up on essential items in the home, such as tinned food and supplied of light and heat in the event of power cuts.
The UK has already seen record highs in temperature over the summer, and the impact of El Niño has led scientists to warn that 2027 is likely to be even hotter than 2026.
One report even suggested that there could be in excess of 450,000 deaths related to heat between June 2026 and February 2027 as a result of the impact of El Niño.
Professor Michael Greenstone is from the University of Chicago, and co-authored that report.
"The estimate of 451,000 people is such a large number that it can be numbing, but it is made up of parents and children, grandparents and neighbours, people going to work, caring for families, and living their lives," said Prof Greenstone.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Topics: World News, El Niño, Weather
