• La Niña breakdown underway as models point to ENSO-neutral conditions in early 2026

    La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific show signs of a transition toward ENSO-neutral conditions, with potential for El Niño development later in 2026. Observations from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) show subsurface ocean warming and westerly wind anomalies across the central Pacific, indicating the breakdown of the three-year La Niña phase.

  • At least two dead in England and Wales as storm Goretti leaves nearly 1.2 million without power

    Storm Goretti struck the United Kingdom on January 9, 2026, causing at least 2 fatalities in England and Wales. Winds reached 160 km/h (100 mph) as the storm brought heavy snow and significant coastal flooding, leaving nearly half a million customers without power — approximately 1.2 million people. The Met Office issued rare red wind warnings for southwest England as power cuts, flight cancellations, and travel disruption spread across the country.

  • Arctic cold blast expands across Europe as Greenland block steers polar air south

    An Arctic cold wave is moving across Europe as a persistent Greenland block redirects polar air southward. Forecast models show temperature anomalies between −10°C and −15°C (14°F and 5°F) at 850 hPa with extensive snow cover developing over much of the continent, with heavy snow already affecting parts of the UK and Balkans at the start of January 2026.

  • Three killed in Sweden as Storm Johannes sweeps across Nordic countries

    A powerful winter storm named Johannes swept across the Nordic countries over the weekend, killing three people in Sweden and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity across Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Sweden’s Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued widespread alerts for strong winds as the system moved north. The storm, known as Hannes in Finland, also caused major travel disruptions, grounding flights and halting rail and ferry traffic.

  • Arctic polar vortex shows rare early signs of weakening and displacement

    Forecast data indicate an early weakening and displacement of the stratospheric polar vortex over the Arctic in October 2025, as a developing high-pressure anomaly over Greenland interacts with the circulation earlier than usual, increasing the chances of colder air movement toward the mid-latitudes of North America and Europe.