El Niño region sea surface hits record 30°C, 3.39°C above baseline

Sea surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region reached 30°C for the first time on October 5, 3.39°C above the 1991-2020 average, according to University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer. This record warmth is intensifying El Niño conditions, raising concerns about extreme weather impacts globally. The anomaly is unprecedented in the instrumental record, suggesting a potentially stronger El Niño event than previously observed.