The Bureau of Meteorology has formally declared an El Niño event. Forecasts indicate a strong to very strong El Niño climatic pattern is developing. El Niño events are linked to hotter and drier conditions for Australia and can increase the risk of bushfires. El Niño impacts agricultural production in Australia. According to Felicity Gamble, a senior climatologist with the Bureau of Meteorology, models are aligning and a transition to El Niño is expected sometime during winter. According to gdelt, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ascribed a 63 per cent chance of an El Niño of record-breaking strength developing later in 2026. According to gdelt, climate scientist Andrew Watkins stated that together, climate pollution and El Niño are loading the dice towards record heat and fire conditions. According to gdelt, climate change has already added about 1.5°C of warming to the system. According to the guardian, El Niño events can contribute to coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.