UN warns of 'supersized' El Niño as countries prepare for impact
The UN has warned that a 'supersized' El Niño event is currently underway, potentially lasting until 2027 and causing extreme weather globally. This phenomenon, exacerbated by human-induced climate change, threatens to increase temperatures and trigger severe droughts and floods.
Why it matters
Global preparedness for extreme weather events is critical to mitigating the humanitarian and economic impacts of climate-driven disasters.
Image source, Florian Plaucheur/AFP via Getty Images Image caption, El Niño brought intense flooding and landslides to southern Brazil in 2024
The world has entered a "danger zone of extreme weather" as the impacts of El Niño start to be felt globally, UN head António Guterres has warned.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released the latest data on the natural weather phenomenon showing it could be the strongest for more than 70 years and last until at least February 2027.
El Niño changes weather patterns around the world, pushing some regions into drought whilst others experience stronger typhoons and flooding.
Forecasters also say El Niño will boost temperatures in some places, coming on top of rising heat globally from human-induced climate change.
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