Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
From October 5 to 11, 2026, every region of Costa Rica is forecast to receive below-normal rainfall. The IMN estimates an extreme-event probability of about 20%, although it reports high uncertainty for this final week of the outlook.
197 municipalities were classified as experiencing severe drought in September 2026, up from 153 in August; municipalities under extreme drought increased from 4 to 24.
107 National Water Commission (NWC) systems are being affected, at varying stages, by drought conditions in Jamaica.
40.2% is reported for Hermitage Dam and 33.7% for Mona Dam amid drought conditions affecting water systems in Jamaica.
190 million gallons of water per day are produced approximately by the NWC to serve two million customers in Jamaica.
40 cm above normal was the approximate sea-level anomaly around the Galapagos Islands, compared with 35 cm off mainland Ecuador.
146% was the increase in fire activity from July to August 2026, followed by another 66% rise in September; 395 municipalities are under high alert and 533 under alert for fire risk.
+4.7°C was the sea surface temperature anomaly in the Niño 1+2 region and +3.1°C in Niño 3.4 as of September 23, 2026.
25.8 million children in Latin America and the Caribbean face the consequences of El Niño, including floods, droughts, risk of malnutrition, exposure to disease and limited access to basic services.
Since 1950, no El Niño episode may have been as intense as the one forecast for 2026, according to the experts cited by the source.
