Experts warn of catastrophic impacts as El Niño rapidly intensifies for rest of summer
Catastrophic extreme weather is expected across the globe as a result of the rapidly growing 'super' El Niño this summer, with most areas subject to either scorching temperatures or dangerous storms through the latter year of the year.
The arrival of an El Niño isn't necessarily anything new, as similar weather events have been happening relatively regularly across history for centuries at least, yet few can quite match the same extremity as the one hitting Earth this summer.
Addressing the dangers the extreme weather event will likely pose to many areas across the world, Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) outlined:
"This will intensify the chances of drought and heavy rainfall and the risk of heatwaves on land and marine heatwaves in many regions of the world."
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It's not just any old heatwave either, as reported by the Daily Mail, as temperatures will reach heights that can easily become dangerous to your health, subsequently putting lives at risk as an immediate impact.
Long-term damage will also arrive as a result of this, with areas impacted by drought at risk of catastrophe, with both workers and animals unable to continue production which will then cause a chain reaction of potential foot shortages or price increases across the globe.
We're only seeing the start of things too, with Saulo indicating that "El Niño conditions are already underway and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event — as accurately anticipated by WMO forecasts."
Experts and scientists have been able to closely track the progression of this year's super El Niño since it first emerged on the Pacific Ocean, but there's unfortunately little that can be done to mitigate the impact or properly prepare for the dangers that will arrive in the coming months.
It's not just heat that meteorologists are worried about too, with many areas – for example, the southern parts of the United States – likely subject to extreme storms and dangerously high rainfall in contrast to the dry heat that hits the rest of the world.
This can understandably pose its own issues, with a very real danger of extreme flooding present alongside catastrophic winds that could leave people's homes inhospitable in the worst case scenarios.
Almost all of the populated regions on Earth – which amounts to land between 60°S and 60°N – will face an 'overwhelming likelihood' of above-average temperatures this summer though according to the WMO, and we won't be able to properly understand quite how damaging this could be until it strikes.