The Russia-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region was experiencing emergency power blackouts on Friday (May 22, 2026), Russia-installed Governor Yevgeny Balitsky was quoted as saying by the Kommersant newspaper. However, critical infrastructure was working as usual, he said
What is Oggy Janata Party? 5 things to know about group questioning Cockroach Janta PartyThe Oggy Janata Party issued a six-point manifesto outlining its commitment to animal welfare. Published on: May 22, 2026 9:45 AM IST By Trisha Sengupta Share via Copy link In a hilarious twist that perfectly
India heatwave: How temperatures above 40°C attack the human body; take these steps to protect yourself and your familyTo combat extreme heat, WHO recommends protocols including maintaining cool living spaces, staying hydrated, and avoiding outdoor activities during peak heat. Published on: May 22
Doctor reveals how one simple test uncovered the cause behind a 77-year-old man’s sleepless legsDoctor shares how a routine test ended a 10-year mystery behind a 77-year-old man’s sleepless legs. Published on: May 22, 2026 11:17 AM IST By Anukriti Srivastava Share via Copy link In an X post
Meta reaches out to ex-employee for interview the same week it laid off 8,000 workers: ‘We will cut you at any moment’The now-founder shared he used to work at Meta years earlier and resigned from the company in 2018. Published on: May 22, 2026 8:11 AM IST By Trisha Sengupta Share via Copy link
Something coming
A "super" El Nino is rapidly forming in the Pacific, with an 80% chance of development by July. While sea temperatures are rising exceptionally, the strength of this event hinges on unpredictable trade winds. Scientists warn that even a weaker El Nino could amplify climate change impacts, leading to record global warmth.
Paris: Forecasters say a potentially "super" is rapidly taking shape in the Pacific -- but whether it evolves into a history-making event could hinge on fickle winds and other volatile atmospheric shifts.
The fast-warming tropical Pacific is pointing to a major event but a crucial weakening of trade winds -- capable of turbocharging or throttling the phenomenon -- has yet to materialise.
Scientists say these interactions are notoriously complex and difficult to predict -- making it too early to confidently forecast how powerful this El Nino could become.
Flashing red
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration () says there is about an 80 percent chance of El Nino developing by July.
Sea temperatures in key El Nino zones of the equatorial Pacific are rapidly rising, and an enormous pool of abnormally warm water is massing beneath the surface.
Several leading weather services are predicting could surge 2.5C or more above average later this year -- exceptionally high projections.
Just three events -- 1982/83, 1997/98 and 2015/16 -- have breached 2C since the first major El Nino recorded in the modern era in 1877/78.Adam Scaife, head of long-range prediction at the UK Met Office, said this El Nino could be the strongest in decades or "even be of record strength".
"There's definitely something coming. We're very confident about that, and it looks like it will be a big event," he told AFP.
Wily winds
NOAA forecasts a one-in-three chance this episode will hit 2C or above -- crossing into what is dubbed "" territory.
But key pieces of the puzzle had yet to fall into place, said Michelle L'Heureux, NOAA's El Nino-Southern Oscillation lead.
El Ninos build strength as the ocean and atmosphere increasingly "couple" over the summer months, shifting air pressure, cloud patterns and winds.
This feedback loop can turn a modest El Nino into a blockbuster event, supercharging heat and triggering chaotic weather worldwide.
A hallmark of the strongest El Ninos is the weakening of trade winds that blow east to west across the equator.
But those winds are unpredictable and can strengthen unexpectedly, said L'Heureux.
"When that happens, it pauses the growth of El Nino or even reverses it," she told AFP.
"Ultimately the strength of this event will be likely influenced by these details, like the low-level winds, which we cannot predict many months in advance."
Heat incoming
El Nino tends to peak around December but ocean heat releases slowly and can drive up global temperatures the following years.
Many record-hot years -- including 1998, 2010, 2016, 2023 and 2024 -- followed major El Nino events or developed alongside them.
Climate scientists interviewed by AFP said global heat records could fall in 2026 -- but 2027 was the year to watch.
There "could easily be a new record level of global warmth in 2027" if an extreme El Nino takes shape this year, said Scaife.
It remains unclear whether Earth's warming is influencing El Nino intensity. The last event in 2023/24 was weaker than episodes in 1982/83 and 1997/98, making any trend hard to pin down.
Scientists stress that stronger El Ninos raise the odds of more severe impacts -- but do not guarantee them.
Yet even a weaker event now unfolds in a world transformed by climate change, with extra heat and moisture loading an already feverish atmosphere and oceans.
That means El Nino's impacts could become more extreme even if the phenomenon itself is not growing stronger.
"The impacts of this El Nino -- on things like rainfall and of course temperature -- are riding on top of climate change, and could well be larger than anything we've seen in the past," said Scaife.
Different world
Every El Nino is different, but major events often follow familiar patterns: drought across parts of the Amazon, Indonesia and Australia, disrupted Indian monsoons, and shifting rainfall throughout the tropics.
But climate change has shifted the baseline so dramatically that "history is a poorer guide for seasonal predictions," climatologist Felicity Gamble at Australia's Bureau of Meteorology told AFP.
"What happened during an El Nino event 20 years ago is probably quite different to how it might manifest these days."
Forecasts are also complicated by climate-driven ocean warming, which makes it easier to trigger El Nino conditions and harder to distinguish La Nina, its opposite cooling phase, against a hotter backdrop, Gamble said.
The Bureau of Meteorology and NOAA have started filtering out background warming to improve forecast accuracy. Other weather agencies are adopting similar adjusted benchmarks.
Even still, Australia is predicting El Nino could reach 2.8C -- potentially a history-making event.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Liverpool blip now becomes something deeper Forgot Something Pariksha Pe Charcha Has Something For Everyone I knew something was seriously wrong - again Trump's Fed fight looks like something from another country A shift in perception will solve something important for Number 4s Slot needs something to keep him in a job Something special Something Funky For Memes
Exclusive | Patralekhaa, Maanvi Gagroo’s Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry release postponed amid CBFC delay over title changeThe new title aims to improve audience connection, while the rebranding has complicated the certification process. May 22, 2026
3 minutes ago
East Bengal FC roared back from a goal down to defeat Inter Kashi FC 2-1 and emerged the new Indian Super League champion. The triumph ended the Red and Gold Brigade’s 22-year wait for the country’s premier title. A remarkable counterattack saw Inter Kashi take the lead in the 15th minute
4 minutes ago
Actress and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt recently sent her fans into a nostalgic frenzy after she shared a major throwback picture with superstar Aamir Khan from one of their old photoshoots. The vintage pictures were clicked by celebrated photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha
2 minutes ago
An Air France flight bound for Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the Congo boarded a flight in Paris “in error” amid flight restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. A spokesperson for the agency on Thursday (May 21
1 minutes ago
Why has the US indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro?Why has the US indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro? Published on: May 22, 2026 9:31 AM IST PTI Share via Copy link Sydney, After a week of speculation, the US Department of Justice has officially indicted Raul Castro
3 minutes ago
The original NEET UG 2026 exam, conducted on May 3, was cancelled following the paper leak controversy that triggered nationwide outrage and a CBI investigation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will now conduct the NEET UG 2026 re-examination on June 21 in offline pen-and-paper mode
3 minutes ago
The Union home ministry has decided to continue deploying 500 companies of Central Armed Police Forces in West Bengal till June 20 at the request of the state government, PTI reported. A company of the Central Armed Police Forces has about 100 to 150 personnel
2 minutes ago
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has extended the deadline for students applying for scanned copies of Class 12 answer sheets after many reported technical issues on the official portal. Along with portal glitches and payment-related complaints
4 minutes ago
Can Logitech MX Keys Mini and MX Master 4 for Mac supplant Apple’s Magic bundle?The answer is mostly a resounding affirmative, with configurability as well as rock solid architecture lending foundation for what is certainly lavish pricing. Published on: May 22
2 minutes ago
‘A publicly listed Tata Sons would inevitably be accountable to institutional and foreign shareholders, whose primary focus would be financial returns,’ writes N A Soonawala. As regulatory pressure mounts on Tata Sons to go public, its former vice-chairman N A Soonawala has strongly argued
3 hours ago
‘Water shortage, lift issues’: Bengaluru resident lists 17 ‘nightmares’ faced within 1 year of flat ownershipThe homeowner, among other issues, alleged that they faced problems with the water supply, the lift, and power cuts. Published on: May 22
3 hours ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump called off a signing ceremony Thursday for a new order on artificial intelligence because he worried it could dull America’s edge on AI technology. Trump said he was postponing the signing because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text
3 hours ago
Southampton's spying on rival clubs was authorised by head coach Tonda Eckert and was a "contrived and determined plan from the top down", an independent disciplinary commission ruled. The commission also said it was "deplorable" of the club to have used junior staff members to "conduct the
3 hours ago
What next after a fantastic finish?The time to start planning for next ISL season is now and yet, uncertainty is the only certainty in the top league Published on: May 22, 2026 8:00 AM IST By Dhiman Sarkar Share via Copy link One day before the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) ended
3 hours ago
Bengaluru founder shares video of electric pole bursting during heavy rain in Indiranagar: 'Electric wires go brrrr'Fresh evening showers lashed several parts of Bengaluru on Thursday. Updated on: May 21, 2026 10:53 PM IST By Bhavya Sukheja Share via Copy link A Bengaluru founder’s video showing
3 hours ago
Manipur police chief appointed security secretary at CentreThe Centre appoints Manipur police chief Rajiv Singh as Secretary (Security), overseeing VIP protection amid ongoing ethnic clashes in the state. Published on: May 22, 2026 7:14 AM IST By HT Correspondent Share via Copy link The Centre on
3 hours ago
India’s peak power demand hit a record high for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday amid a heatwave in several regions of the country, the Ministry of Power said. The ministry said that at 3.45 pm on Thursday, an energy demand of 270.8 gigawatts was recorded
3 hours ago
The X account of satirical political campaign Cockroach Janta Party was blocked in India “in response to a legal demand”. The social media campaign, which began on Saturday in response to comments made by Chief Justice Surya Kant, describes itself as a “political front of the youth
3 hours ago
The new Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal announced on Monday that it would scrap the state’s list of Other Backward Classes and reduce the OBC reservations of jobs in educational institutions and government jobs from 17% to 7%
3 hours ago
BRUSSELS, May 21 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms and TikTok were hit with complaints from European Union consumer groups on Thursday for allegedly failing to protect users from financial scams on their platforms, putting them at risk of regulatory fines.By Foo Yun CheeBRUSSELS
3 hours ago
Lupita Nyong’o reacts to backlash over playing Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey: ‘Criticism will exist’In Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer's ancient Greek epic, Lupita Nyong’o is set to portray Helen of Troy. May 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Indian rupee rebounds 61 paise to 96.25 after record low 96.95, as Donald Trump signals Iran talks near deal, crude prices ease but remain high, pressuring India forex reserves Indian rupee recovered 61 paise on Thursday to open at 96.25 against the US dollar. On Wednesday
3 hours ago
Don't take Bangladeshi infiltrators to courts, send them to BSF instead: Suvendu to Bengal policeAdhikari also said that a weekly report on the number of such detainees would have to be submitted to the Chief Minister's Office through the DGP. Updated on: May 22
3 hours ago
A US tarot reader predicts what Gemini Season 2026 could bring for each zodiac signAccording to US tarot reader, each zodiac sign has its own message to work with during this Gemini season. Published on: May 21, 2026 10:30 PM IST By Soumi Pyne Share via Copy link The Gemini season comes with fresh
3 hours ago
Hit Netflix show Emily in Paris is to end after its sixth season. The streaming giant announced on Thursday the next season of the romance comedy-drama starring Lily Collins will be its last. "Thank you for letting us be a part of your lives, inspiring your dreams of travel and your love of Paris
3 hours ago
Love Horoscope Today for May 22, 2026: An old face may return with a message your heart wasn't expectingLove Horoscope Today: Find daily astrological predictions for all sun signs. Published on: May 22, 2026 7:31 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Old emotions may quietly return today
3 hours ago
Whistler's Mother is one of the world's most recognisable artworks. Like a viral meme it has been reproduced endlessly, including a Donald Duck cartoon, a Simpsons episode, and Nabokov's Lolita. How and why did it become so famous? Whistler's Mother
3 hours ago
