Britain's Met Office has predicted that sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific will reach an unheard-of level of potentially more than three degrees Celsius (5.4F) above average.
Experts warn that this powerful El Niño weather pattern is clashing with human-caused climate change. Consequently, scientists say 2027 is likely to be the world's hottest year on record.
This unprecedented event is expected to heighten extreme weather risks, triggering severe droughts across South America and the West Pacific. Such an event would have serious knock-on effects for global food security.