El Niño is driving unusual weather patterns across the world, bringing prolonged rainfall to Japan’s capital, Tokyo, and triggering rare flower blooms in Chile Atacama Desert. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that sea surface temperatures could reach record levels between October and December 2026 as the climate phenomenon intensifies.
Tokyo recorded 35 consecutive days of rain, the longest such stretch since records began in 1886. The persistent rainfall disrupted tourism, affected vegetable prices and left residents facing an extended period of cloudy and wet weather.
According to Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun, central Tokyo received nearly three times its normal rainfall in September. The city recorded only 45.8 hours of sunshine during the month the second lowest figure on record, with no sunshine at all on 14 days. The previous longest rainy spell lasted 33 days from June 27 to July 29, 2019.
Meanwhile, Chile Atacama Desert one of the driest regions on Earth witnessed an unusual natural spectacle as heavy rainfall prompted millions of seeds and bulbs from around 200 flower species to bloom in September. Vast stretches of violet flowers covered parts of the desert, attracting tourists and creating striking landscapes.
Chile recorded exceptionally high rainfall across several regions during July and August, with some areas receiving more than 180 millimetres. Cesar Pizarro head of Atacama biodiversity at Chile’s forestry body CONAF said such rainfall levels had never previously been recorded in some locations since measurements began in the 1950s.
The Atacama Desert stretches for approximately 1,600 kilometres along northern Chile, between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. Its rare flowering events occur when sufficient rainfall allows dormant seeds and bulbs to germinate.
El Niño a natural climate phenomenon associated with warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, influences weather patterns worldwide. The name means “little boy” in Spanish and was historically associated with unusual ocean conditions observed by fishermen off South America.
The WMO has warned that the current El Niño is among the strongest observed since 1950 and could continue through February 2027. The agency has also highlighted the possibility of exceptionally high global sea surface temperatures in the final months of 2026.
The contrasting conditions in Tokyo and Chile illustrate how El Niño can contribute to different weather extremes in different regions. Scientists continue to monitor the phenomenon as its effects on rainfall, temperatures and ecosystems unfold.