Data or statistical facts on the situation and perspectives of agri-food systems and the impact of policies
Prolonged drought during the 2026 Primera season destroyed 8,772 hectares of maize and 3,080 hectares of red beans in the Honduran departments of Lempira, Ocotepeque, Intibuca, and Comayagua (Dry Corridor). The Government of Honduras declared a state of drought on August 19, 2026, and issued a red alert over the agricultural losses.
An estimated 1 million people in Honduras are facing water shortages and crop and livestock losses due to the prolonged 2026 drought, according to an emergency assessment (DREF) cited in the August 2026 report.
Between April 1 and August 20, 2026, the Pacific coastal areas of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua received only 30-60% of their average seasonal rainfall, ranking among the driest such periods since the CHIRPS record began in 1981.
Before the end of 2026, El Niño is forecast to reach very strong intensity and peak toward the close of the year. WMO forecasts do not anticipate ENSO-neutral conditions or a return to La Niña during the outlook period.
Nearly 100% is the probability that El Niño will persist during September-November 2026 and December 2026-February 2027, according to seasonal forecasts from WMO Global Producing Centres for Long-Range Forecasts.
>70% is the probability of much below-normal precipitation across the northeastern Caribbean from September through November 2026, according to the North American Multi-Model Ensemble.
67% was the precipitation deficit recorded in French Guiana during August 2026, following deficits of 49% in July and 17% in June.
415.8 mm was the average accumulated precipitation in French Guiana from June through August 2026, the lowest total for that period since 1967 and equivalent to a 36% deficit, calculated using 13 reference stations.
As of September 1, 2026, 49.51% of the United States and Puerto Rico was in drought (59.05% across the Lower 48 states), according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Drought conditions worsened that week across the south-central United States and along the North Dakota-South Dakota-Minnesota border area.
2.65 metres was the observed level of the Paraguay River at the Pilar station on 31 August 2026.
