A potentially exceptional El Niño event is taking shape across the Pacific Ocean, with India’s EOS-06, or Oceansat-3, satellite detecting major changes in ocean winds and marine productivity. The observations provide fresh evidence that the climate pattern is strengthening and could become one of the strongest El Niño events recorded since 1950.
ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre compared satellite observations from April to June between 2023 and 2026. The data showed a marked decline in chlorophyll-a across parts of the equatorial Pacific during June 2026. Since chlorophyll-a is an indicator of phytoplankton abundance, the change points to a reduction in marine biological productivity.
The satellite also detected a reversal in surface winds, from the normal easterly pattern towards westerly winds. This matters because El Niño weakens the trade winds and suppresses the upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from deeper layers. With fewer nutrients reaching the surface, phytoplankton growth can decline, potentially affecting the wider marine food chain.
The scale of the developing event is attracting particular attention. The US Climate Prediction Center says there is more than a 90% chance of a very strong El Niño during the Northern Hemisphere autumn and winter of 2026–27. It also estimates a 75% probability that the October-December period could produce a historic event, exceeding the strength of previous El Niños dating back to 1950.
For India, the development deserves close monitoring because El Niño can influence monsoon behaviour, rainfall distribution and temperatures, although its effects are not identical in every year.
The importance of Oceansat-3 therefore extends beyond observing the Pacific. By combining ocean-colour and wind measurements, ISRO is providing scientists with another way to track how the ocean and atmosphere are responding to a major climate phenomenon.
If the event continues to intensify, the coming months could provide a critical test of how accurately satellite observations can help anticipate the wider consequences of an unusually powerful El Niño.
