SCIENTISTS WARN: SUPER EL NIÑO COULD CLAIM MORE THAN 450,000 LIVES

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 23 /SRNA/ – Climate scientists estimate that more than 450,000 people could die over the next six months due to extreme heat brought by a super El Niño, The Guardian reports.

The countries expected to be most affected are Nigeria, Indonesia, Sudan, India, and Brazil. The United States is among the 20 most vulnerable nations, with an estimated 3,500 additional deaths, while the Sahel region of Africa and Southeast Asia are also expected to be strongly affected by the super El Niño. A large number of deaths are expected to result from droughts, wildfires, and floods that regularly accompany El Niño events. The mortality estimate covers the period from September to February 2027, which is the extent of current temperature forecasts. However, scientists believe that the elevated heat-related mortality rate could continue until June or July 2027. Scientists point out that this El Niño is also a “postcard from the future”, as it is raising temperatures to levels that, due to the climate crisis, were not expected until 20 years from now. The El Niño currently warming the planet surpassed the highest temperatures previously recorded for the phenomenon on Monday, several months before its expected peak. The heat is so much greater than during previous events that scientists have described it as "staggering" and "Godzilla-level." The El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon, but global warming can further intensify its effects.