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The capital's municipal risk office says Tegucigalpa could escalate to red-alert status for drought by late August if rainfall remains low, as main reservoirs serving the city drop to critical levels.

La Libertad municipality declared a red alert after severe drought wiped out the first-season crop, destroying about 25,000 quintals (roughly 1,100 metric tons) of corn and beans and killing 300 head of cattle, leaving over 1,000 farmers and about 1,500 families facing food insecurity.

A severe drought linked to El Niño has killed over 200 cattle, wiped out grain harvests, and significantly reduced milk and meat production in major farming regions, with grain losses estimated at 2–3 million quintals (about 90,000–135,000 metric tons) of corn and beans.

Red beans jumped 5 lempiras to 110–116 lempiras per measure at Tegucigalpa's Feria del Estadio market this week, with producers warning of further increases in about three weeks as the new harvest arrives; onions, beets, corn, pataste (chayote squash), and cauliflower also rose due to low supply from prolonged dry weather.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization warns that 150,839 agricultural households—mostly in drought-stricken regions including Santa Bárbara, Choluteca, and Lempira, plus flood-prone Cortés—will need emergency aid this year due to droughts, floods, lost crops, and livestock disease.

A trough on Friday and an incoming tropical wave on Saturday will bring scattered to moderate rain to most of Honduras through Sunday, with daytime temperatures reaching 38°C (100°F) in the south, though forecasters say the rainfall will not relieve the ongoing drought affecting 75 municipalities.

Climate experts warn that El Niño strengthening could prolong the dry season (canícula) from its usual six weeks to 45–60 days, reducing rainfall by 40–60% and straining water supplies, agriculture, and hydroelectric power across Honduras, with Tegucigalpa's reservoirs at critical levels.

Honduras's atmospheric agency confirmed the onset of an extreme El Niño phase, potentially bringing prolonged drought, high temperatures, and water scarcity that could affect agriculture, livestock, hydroelectric power, and drinking water for millions of Hondurans over the next year.