UN warns of 'supersized' El Niño as countries prepare for impact
The UN has issued a global warning regarding a record-breaking El Niño event that could persist until 2027. International agencies are mobilizing to strengthen early warning systems and medical assistance to mitigate the impact on vulnerable populations.
Why it matters
As El Niño compounds the effects of human-induced climate change, the risk of mass displacement and environmental catastrophe increases, requiring coordinated global humanitarian action.
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.
"El Niño is being supersized before our eyes. The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up," Guterres said.
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