El Niño fuels 'feverish' Pacific as typhoons relentlessly batter East Asia

East Asia is currently experiencing an unusually severe typhoon season, with a series of intense and often unpredictable storms relentlessly impacting the region. This heightened activity is largely attributed to a powerful El Niño phenomenon, which has caused record-breaking temperatures across the Pacific Ocean, leading some to describe the waters as "burning with fever." Forecasts indicate that this El Niño, which began in June 2026 and is expected to persist into early 2027, could be one of the strongest in recorded history.

The exceptionally warm ocean temperatures linked to El Niño are providing abundant energy for typhoons, enabling them to form further east than usual and gain significant strength over prolonged periods before reaching land. This year, the Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) metric for Southeast and East Asia is projected to nearly double the 30-year average, reflecting the increased intensity of the storms. While El Niño has led to fewer storms directly impacting Vietnam in the East Sea, the broader Pacific has seen highly destructive cyclones.

Recent months have witnessed widespread disruption and devastation across the Philippines, Taiwan, China, and Japan. In October, Super Typhoon Champi brought Taiwan to a near standstill, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations and mass evacuations, while Super Typhoon Dolphin caused severe floods and casualties in eastern China in August. These powerful weather events have claimed dozens of lives, shut down major airports, and caused extensive damage to crops and vital infrastructure throughout East Asia.