Powerful El Nino could cause more than 450,000 deaths, scientists say - Al Jazeera

Heaviest toll expected in poorer countries, already struggling with food insecurity and high energy costs, report says.

x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info A Salvadoran woman carries water to irrigate crops as the country experiences its worst drought in living memory, attributed to the powerful El Nino [Marvin Recinos/AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and AP Published On 23 Sep 2026 23 Sep 2026 More than 450,000 people are projected to die from additional heat due to the unusually strong El Nino event over the next six months, according to a research report.

The projection, published on Wednesday by the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab, runs to February 2027 and compares estimates of heat-related deaths that could be attributed to El Nino with the level expected in a typical year.