Anglican Missions have stepped up with resources to help Anglican churches prepare for major changes in weather conditions over the next 18 months due to Pacific El Niño weather patterns now at play.  

What is El Niño?

El Niño is a natural phenomenon which occurs when trade winds in the Pacific weaken or switch direction, shifting warm waters towards the eastern Pacific. An El Niño  event occurs every 2-7 years, usually lasting between 12-18 months. It is not a singular, short-term weather event; rather, a long-term climate signal that can lead to changes in typical weather patterns. 

Is it climate change?

While climate change is not a direct cause of El Niño, it is likely to worsen the impacts of El Niño events. These two factors together can shift the scales toward drought conditions in some parts of the world and create storm winds and heavy rainfall due in others. 

Leading the Anglican world on resilience

Anglican Missions' Humanitarian and Development Projects Officer Phoebe McLean is leading the El Niño resilience planning project with support from Humanitarian and Development Manager Mark Mitchell.

They want to warn church communities what's on the way, and provide practical actions Anglicans can take to reduce the impact of El Niño on their communities' livelihoods, homes and food sources.

Earlier this October, Anglican Missions co-hosted two international webinars with the Anglican Alliance and Anglican Communion Environmental Network to share their resources on El Niño, what to expect and how to prepare.

Anglicans report on El Niño impacts

75 Anglican leaders joined from round the world to learn more. They shared how climate change is exacerbating El Niño's impact:

 – In Panama: Anglican Missions heard that canal water levels are lowering, threatening shipping routes
– In Zimbabwe: Anglican whānau are facing unprecedented high winds, which rip roofs off houses and bring severe hailstorms
– In Palestine: Communities in the West Bank have neither the freedom nor the capacity to prepare for, or respond to natural disasters due to the occupation
– In Fiji: communities are already facing water insecurity

They also raised the question of El Niño-related market and fuel supply strains, warning they may compound existing pressures on vulnerable communities around the world.

Free resources explain El Niño

Anglican Missions have published additional resources for churches and their communities.

Four information posters set out how to prepare for heavy wind and rain, or for not very dry conditions. While prepared in English these have been translated into Arabic, Swahili, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, while video recordings of the El Niño information webinar will soon also be available in these languages too. 

Anglican Missions' resources on preparing for drier or wetter conditions under El Niño can be downloaded from the Anglican Missions' El Niño resources sharepoint. 

El Niño in Aotearoa-NZ

Aotearoa New Zealand is forecast to experience stronger and more frequent winds from the southwest through to northwest from late winter through to early autumn during this El Niño event. 

Eastern and northern parts of both North and South Islands will be hotter and drier than usual, which increases fire risk and requires planning to protect crops and stock from drought or very dry conditions.

Meanwhile the West Coast and Southern regions of Te Waipounamu are due for wetter and windier than usual conditions, which may increase flooding risk and wind damage to buildings and natural areas. See the Aotearoa NZ El Niño pages from NIWA. 

El Niño in Polynesia

In Fiji, Samoa and Tonga the weather conditions over November 2026 -January 2027 will be much drier than usual requiring water storage and careful farming management, while further north Tuvalu, Tokelau and its neighbours will receive more rainfall. See the October-December Pacific Islands fact sheet. 

Please pray and donate

Anglican Missions is asking churches to keep giving generously as the increased climatic pressures of El Niño will put more people's lives at risk this summer/winter in regions where poverty or conflict mean communities need financial help to prepare better.

Pray the News from Anglican Missions raises the potential global impact of El Niño on 8th October 2026 and calls for specific prayers in response.

Pray the News: ‘Super’ El Niño projected to lead to over 450,000 deaths

To support Anglican Missions' climate resilience work go to: Donate Anglican World Aid (AWA)