7-day average temperatures across the tropical Pacific from August 30–September 5, 2026, compared to the 1991-2020 average. Compared to the traditional sea surface temperature anomaly (top map), the anomaly relative to the whole tropics (bottom map) tones down the absolute warmth in the key El Niño-monitoring region (black outline), but also makes it more obvious how warm that area is relative to the areas to the west. That cool-to-warm gradient is not normal for the area, and it shifts where rainfall and convection happen. Climate.us maps, based on NOAA OISST data.