WMO Warns El Niño Has 80% Chance by September as Asia Faces Heat and Drought
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 5
WMO Warns El Niño Has 80% Chance by September as Asia Faces Heat and Drought
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 5
Summary
An El Niño pattern is now seen as 80% likely before September and 90% likely before November, prompting the UN and WMO to warn of hotter global temperatures and more extreme weather.
Human-driven climate change could amplify those effects, with Asia among the most exposed regions as heat, drought, flooding and power strain threaten agriculture, water supplies and public health.
India faces a weaker monsoon on top of recent deadly heatwaves, raising risks to crop planting, food security and urban water supplies; Mumbai's rain-fed lakes reportedly hold only 45 days of water.
China is preparing for sharper weather swings, with some southern and eastern areas forecast to receive more than 200 mm of rain this week and parts of the country expected to see rainfall 20% above average.
South-east Asia could see temperatures above 40 degrees, hydropower and farm losses, wildfire smoke and disease outbreaks, turning El Niño into a broader stress test for economies already hit by energy and fertiliser shortages.