El Niño arrives and could rank among strongest events since 1950
Phys.org • • general
Key Points:
- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the arrival of El Niño, predicting it could intensify to historic levels by the end of the year, with a 63% chance of a very strong event during November-January.
- El Niño, a natural climate pattern warming the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, is expected to exacerbate global heat and extreme weather, including droughts in the Amazon, Indonesia, Australia, and disrupted monsoons in India.
- Scientists warn that climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions is making El Niño events more intense, potentially pushing global temperatures to record highs in combination with this super El Niño.
- Governments in vulnerable regions such as Central America's "Dry Corridor" and East Africa are raising alerts due to anticipated droughts, food insecurity, and humanitarian risks linked to the phenomenon.
- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent climate action to address El Niño's impacts, emphasizing the need to reduce fossil fuel dependence, accelerate renewable energy, and improve early warning systems globally.