Copernicus launches Climate Pulse 2.0, with El Niño monitoring and historical climate maps dating back to 1940

The Copernicus Climate Change Service has launched Climate Pulse 2.0, an expanded version of the European platform for near-real-time monitoring of air and ocean temperatures. The new application enables tracking of four El Niño regions, accessing historical maps from 1940 for air temperature and from 1979 for ocean temperature, as well as exporting analyses. The launch takes place during a high-intensity El Niño episode.The Copernicus Climate Change Service launched Climate Pulse 2.0 on November 10. The application tracks ocean surface temperature in four regions used to monitor El Niño. The new version also allows users to compare maps and charts from different periods, with data from 1940 for air temperature and from 1979 for ocean surface temperature.

In brief

November 10, 2026: Copernicus launches Climate Pulse 2.0, with new analysis and visualization tools.

Four El Niño regions can be monitored separately: Niño 3.4, Niño 3, Niño 4, and Niño 1+2.

1940 and 1979 are the starting years of the historical series used for air temperature and ocean surface temperature, respectively.

30.02°C was the average ocean surface temperature in the Niño 3.4 region on November 1, 2026, 3.28°C above the corresponding average.

Daily update: the platform uses ERA5 data, generally available up to two days before the current date.The tool is developed within ECMWF, the organization implementing C3S for the European Copernicus program. The platform uses data from ERA5, the climate reanalysis system through which meteorological observations are combined with physical models to coherently reconstruct atmospheric and climate conditions.

The main new functionality is monitoring the El Niño–Southern Oscillation phenomenon, known by the acronym ENSO. This represents an important natural variation in the climate system, associated with changes in ocean surface temperature in the tropical Pacific and in atmospheric circulation.

ENSO comprises the warm phase El Niño, the cool phase La Niña, and neutral periods. Temperature changes in the Pacific can alter the distribution of precipitation, atmospheric circulation, and the likelihood of certain extreme weather events in various regions of the world.

Climate Pulse 2.0 introduces separate monitoring of four reference regions: Niño 3.4, Niño 3, Niño 4, and Niño 1+2. These cover different areas of the equatorial Pacific, allowing examination of the geographical distribution of warming and comparison of climate episodes.

On November 1, 2026, the average ocean surface temperature in the Niño 3.4 region reached 30.02 °C in the ERA5 reanalysis, 3.28 °C above the average for the same day during 1991–2020. Copernicus describes the El Niño episode as exceptionally strong. The intensity of the phenomenon is assessed from the evolution of temperatures and atmospheric circulation over a longer period.

Copernicus describes the current El Niño episode as one of exceptional intensity. In the comparisons provided by the European service, conditions in the Niño 3.4 region can be examined alongside those recorded during the strong episodes of 1982, 1997, and 2015.

The comparison highlights an important point: ocean temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region may display characteristics similar to those observed in historical episodes, while the global average ocean surface temperature is considerably higher in 2026.

To facilitate interpretation, the new version introduces a relative El Niño indicator that takes into account the broader warming of the tropical oceans.

In Climate Pulse, users can select the anomaly view and activate the “relative” option to examine this indicator.

Climate Pulse 2.0 provides access to maps corresponding to the entire period included in the displayed data series. For surface air temperature, these begin on January 1, 1940, and for ocean surface temperature, on January 1, 1979.

The difference between the two periods reflects the availability and reliability of the data. Although the ERA5 reanalysis includes ocean estimates for a longer period, Copernicus uses ocean surface temperature data in Climate Pulse starting in 1979, an interval for which satellite observations contribute to greater reliability.

Users can select a day, month, or year and examine the temperature distribution on the map. A selection in the time chart can be linked to the geographical visualization of the respective period.

The new version introduces a statistical panel through which users can examine the absolute temperature value, the deviation from the 1991–2020 average, and the position of a period in the historical ranking.

Copernicus gives 2024 as an example, for which Climate Pulse indicates a global average surface air temperature of 15.10°C, 0.72°C above the 1991–2020 average. In the historical series analyzed by the platform, 2024 appears as the warmest year in the 86-year period used in that comparison.

Climate Pulse is presented as a near-real-time monitoring tool. According to Copernicus documentation, the platform is updated daily, generally before 06:00 UTC, using ERA5 data available up to approximately two days before the time of consultation.

Updates may be delayed if the input data are not available on time. The application displays a special indicator when the delay exceeds the usual pace.

Maps and monthly series are normally updated on the third day of the following month, while annual series are updated on the third day of January.

Recent ERA5 data may also be preliminary and may be revised during the finalization process. In most cases, the differences are small, but users conducting comparative analyses should consult the date and version of the data.

The platform is intended for climate monitoring and exploration, not for immediate weather warnings about a local phenomenon.

Users can generate images that preserve the geographical selection, map projection, and settings used in the application. In the updated version, exports no longer automatically revert to a generic global representation.

In addition, the configuration of a visualization can be shared through a link, allowing another user to examine the same data selection and parameters.

The maps also include an interactive function that allows values for the position indicated by the cursor to be displayed. The application offers a full-screen view, light and dark display modes, as well as short video materials explaining the main functions.

In a separate bulletin on November 12, the U.S. NOAA Climate Prediction Center estimated at approximately 60% the probability that the relative El Niño index would reach or exceed 2.5 °C, as a three-month average, during the October–December and November–January periods.