El Niño projected to cause 450k deaths in next six months
3 hours ago
- Over 450,000 additional heat deaths are projected from the super El Niño in the next six months, on top of existing climate crisis fatalities.
- The deaths will affect regions globally, with tropical nations like Nigeria, Indonesia, India, and Brazil most impacted; the US expects 3,500 extra deaths.
- Researchers emphasize that regional death estimates enable targeted protective measures such as heat forecasts, cooling centers, and better staffing for medical facilities.
- The current El Niño has broken temperature records months before its peak, described as 'mind-blowing' and 'Godzilla-level', potentially worsened by global heating.
- The report calls for immediate emergency response and long-term planning to avoid a constant state of crisis as extreme temperatures become the new normal.
- El Niño also threatens food supplies, potentially pushing 50 million into acute hunger, echoing historical famines that killed over 50 million in the 1870s.