Whether it’s ‘super’ or ‘Godzilla,’ El Niño is already breaking records

This year's El Niño, a shift in Pacific Ocean trade winds that reshapes weather patterns worldwide, has already broken the record for the strongest one ever measured. Warming in the key ocean region scientists track hit 3.11 degrees Celsius above normal this week, surpassing the previous record set in 2015. Forecasters put the odds at 90 percent that it will stay at "very strong" levels through the end of the year, with the usual peak coming around December or January.

The effects reach far beyond the Pacific. Scientists expect this El Niño to worsen drought, flooding, and heat in various parts of the world, and one study projects it could contribute to hundreds of thousands of heat-related deaths globally by February. California has declared a statewide state of emergency to prepare. Coastal erosion is already damaging homes in parts of Southern California, and some houses there have been red-tagged after storm waves battered the shoreline.

For homeowners generally, the takeaway is that this winter and into next year may bring more extreme weather than usual — heavier storms in some regions, deeper drought in others, and a good chance that global temperatures set new records. If you live somewhere prone to flooding, wildfire, or coastal storms, it may be worth paying closer attention to local weather alerts and emergency declarations in the coming months, since this El Niño is expected to be unusually intense and long-lasting.