From December 2025 to February 2026 (DJF 2025/26), global sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) were generally above average, with the notable exception of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.1 Above-average SSTs persisted across the extratropical oceans in both hemispheres. In the equatorial Pacific, below-average SSTs were consistent with a weak La Niña; however, an enhanced east–west SST gradient sustained coupled ocean–atmosphere signals more characteristic of a stronger event, as reflected in the rainfall anomalies. (Source: WMO)