El Niño 2026: map of the most affected countries and announced measures

Regional report on the impacts of El Niño 2026 in Latin America and the Caribbean and the measures adopted in response to droughts, floods, wildfires, water stress, and production losses. WMO estimates a nearly 100% probability that El Niño will persist through February 2027 and expects it to reach very strong intensity toward the end of 2026. In Central America, Honduras and Guatemala show severe crop losses and water access problems, while El Salvador reports impacts on agricultural workdays. Panama declared a national emergency, reduced average daily Canal transits from 36 to 34 to conserve water, and announced preventive and immediate response measures. El Salvador issued a nationwide red alert and activated prevention, monitoring, and interinstitutional coordination, while Honduras extended its red alert to 103 of its 298 municipalities. The article also identifies risks to food prices, agriculture, livestock, hydropower generation, infrastructure, and livelihoods in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and other countries in the region.