Super El Niño 2027: UK deploys AI forecasting as NOAA gives 63% chance of very strong event

The next 18 months could be among the most consequential for global food security since the 2007-08 price crisis. A potent El Niño event is now underway in the tropical Pacific, and the UK is racing to deploy artificial intelligence tools that could give climate-vulnerable nations earlier warnings of the droughts, floods, and harvest failures heading their way.

This article captures the latest forecast probabilities from NOAA, the regional agricultural risks to rice, palm oil, sugarcane and coffee, the food-price shock warnings from Schroders and Fitch, and the specific AI programmes the UK Met Office is using to strengthen early-warning systems across Africa and Asia.

UK deploys AI weather forecasting for vulnerable nations

The UK Met Office is rolling out a suite of AI and machine learning programmes designed to improve seasonal forecasts in parts of the world that are least prepared for extreme weather. The initiative is led by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in partnership with the Met Office, targeting regions across Africa and South-East Asia .

The core programmes include:

• AI4 Climate — funded by the UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) through the International Science Partnerships Fund. The programme applies cutting-edge AI and ML techniques to climate science with the goal of delivering improved climate information more efficiently to international partners .
• AI for Numerical Weather Prediction (AI4NWP) — a partnership between the Met Office and the Alan Turing Institute that accelerates ML-based weather prediction. Researchers are developing a Machine Learning Weather Prediction (MLWP) model using a graph neural network approach, designed to improve forecast skill at the seasonal timescale .
• Project Aardvark — a collaboration between the Alan Turing Institute and the University of Cambridge that is building a new-generation AI weather prediction system, aiming to extend skilful lead times for extreme events .
• ACE2 research — Met Office-led work funded by the UK's Hadley Centre Climate Programme, demonstrating that the Allen Institute for AI's ML model (ACE2) shows comparable skill to traditional dynamical seasonal forecasting models, with significantly lower computing requirements .

The Met Office's Chief AI Officer, Professor Kirstine Dale, has stressed that operational use requires rigorous validation: "People rely on our warnings, so AI-based forecasts must be verified, transparent and demonstrably fit for purpose before they're used operationally" . The overarching goal is to give vulnerable nations earlier, more skilful warnings so they can pre-position resources and protect food systems.

NOAA forecast: 96% probability of El Niño through early 2027, 63% chance of 'very strong' event

According to the June 2026 ENSO Diagnostic Discussion from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), El Niño conditions are now present in the tropical Pacific . The forecast probabilities are stark:

• 96% probability that El Niño conditions will persist through the December 2026–February 2027 period .
• 63% probability that the event will reach 'very strong' (Super El Niño) strength during the November–January peak, which would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950 .
• The North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) average forecasts El Niño to intensify into the Northern Hemisphere winter 2026–27 with high confidence .
• NOAA's seasonal outlook assigns a greater than 40% chance of the event becoming 'strong' by the July–September 2026 season .

The International Research Institute (IRI) at Columbia University issued an even higher probability in its May 2026 ENSO plume forecast, assigning a 98% probability to El Niño during May–July 2026 .

Expected regional impacts: drought across Asia, flooding elsewhere

Historical El Niño analogues and current analysis from Saxo Bank, DW, Khaleej Times, and the Observer Research Foundation point to severe and asymmetric agricultural impacts:

Asia-Pacific

• Drought and heatwaves are expected across South and Southeast Asia, with weaker monsoon rainfall in India, Thailand, and Indonesia hitting rice, palm oil, and sugarcane production hardest .
• Rice: Already-weak monsoon planting has curbed output in India and Thailand, raising food-security risks across the most populous region. Rice prices at major Southeast Asian export hubs climbed around 15% over the past month on rising supply concerns .
• Palm oil: Prolonged dry spells in Indonesia and Malaysia are hampering yields, raising costs for fuel, food, and transportation .
• Sugarcane: Drought stress across India and Thailand threatens crushing seasons .
• Australia: Dry conditions in the eastern grain-belt threaten wheat and sugarcane .

Americas

• Wetter conditions in parts of the Americas may boost soybean production, but flooding risks increase for coastal South America .
• Coffee: Brazil's arabica regions face heat stress and irregular rainfall; historical El Niño patterns have reduced yields and raised quality concerns .

Africa

• Eastern Africa typically receives above-average rainfall during El Niño, raising flooding and landslide risks. Southern Africa faces drier conditions, threatening maize harvests .

Food price shock warnings: double-digit inflation in 2027

The evidence points to significant upward pressure on staple commodity prices. Key risk ranges include:

• Rice: Prices already elevated by planting disruptions; tight supply from India and Thailand is expected to keep prices supported . The European Central Bank notes that El Niño historically adds 3.5–4 percentage points to global real commodity price inflation per standard deviation shock .
• Palm oil: Output losses in Southeast Asia are feeding into higher edible oil prices, compounding fertiliser-driven cost increases .
• Sugarcane and coffee: Production disruptions in Brazil, India, and Thailand threaten supply; coffee futures have already seen volatility .
• Double-digit food inflation is the central warning from Schroders. David Rees, Head of Global Economics at Schroders, warns that a potentially strong El Niño arriving on top of fertiliser supply disruption and Middle East energy-market stress could push next year's food inflation into double digits .

Schroders describes 'rolling waves of commodity-driven inflation' raising the risk of stagflation, especially in emerging markets . The report emphasises that food prices could become a renewed inflation trigger just as central banks are hoping to ease policy .

Economic warnings from Fitch Ratings

Fitch Ratings (June 2026) warns that El Niño persisting into early 2027 raises the risk of economic disruption, particularly for weaker sovereigns and highly-rated sovereigns facing inflation risk. The agency says it is unlikely to take direct rating actions solely on El Niño, but that the phenomenon amplifies existing inflationary pressures from the West Asia conflict, rising fertiliser prices, and supply-chain stress . Fitch specifically cites NOAA's 96% probability of El Niño through Dec 2026–Feb 2027 and the 63% chance of 'very strong' classification as the basis for its warning .

Bottom line: The UK Met Office is actively developing AI-driven seasonal forecasting tools through AI4 Climate, AI4NWP, and Project Aardvark to improve early warnings for vulnerable nations. NOAA and IRI give a 96% probability of El Niño persisting into early 2027 and a 63% chance of it reaching Super El Niño strength. Expected impacts include severe drought across South and Southeast Asia (rice, palm oil, sugarcane), wetter conditions in the Americas (coffee and soy risks), and double-digit food inflation. Fitch warns of economic disruption and elevated inflation risk for sovereigns; Schroders warns of rolling commodity-driven inflation waves that could push global food inflation into double digits.