El Niño has generally brought above-average rainfall between October and December in the Horn of Africa. This can cause flooding and landslides, impacting agriculture and increasing the risk of disease. Below-average rainfall is observed in the western unimodal parts of East Africa (western Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya) between July and September. Across most of southern Africa, there has been reduced rainfall attributed to El Niño between November and March in past years, coinciding with the main cropping season. This could impact crop prospects and livestock productivity, exacerbating the situation in countries facing domestic food supply challenges and high levels of food insecurity. In West Africa and the Sahel, El Niño has historically brought below-average rainfall conditions between July and September, coinciding with the main agricultural season. This could worsen the situation in countries facing domestic food supply challenges and increasing reliance on imports amid high global food prices.

In the northern part of South America, El Niño results in below-average rainfall between June and the following March. In Central America, particularly in the Dry Corridor, El Niño is associated with dry conditions between June and December, potentially affecting the end of the primera season and the performance of the postrera season between September and December. The primera is the main season for maize and agricultural season in general in most of the countries in the region.