Theguardian iconTheguardianSep 24, 2026 ~1 min source read

The Guardian view on a supersized El Niño: a natural phenomenon and human folly are a lethal combination | Editorial

They say that the weather pattern, which occurs roughly every two to seven years, may be the strongest in at least a millennium. With its peak yet to come, the temperature rise in the Pacific Ocean has already surpassed the previous high.

The Guardian view on a supersized El Niño: a natural phenomenon and human folly are a lethal combination | Editorial

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They say that the weather pattern, which occurs roughly every two to seven years, may be the strongest in at least a millennium.

With its peak yet to come, the temperature rise in the Pacific Ocean has already surpassed the previous high.

The consequence will be huge amounts of heat in an atmosphere already experiencing frighteningly higher temperatures due to the human-caused climate crisis.

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They say that the weather pattern, which occurs roughly every two to seven years, may be the strongest in at least a millennium. With its peak yet to come, the temperature rise in the Pacific Ocean has already surpassed the previous high. The consequence will be huge amounts of heat in an atmosphere already experiencing frighteningly higher temperatures due to the human-caused climate crisis.

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  • Next year is almost certain to be the hottest on record globally, breaking this year's record.
  • Programme has warned that 50 million people are likely to be pushed into acute hunger.
  • That extraordinary toll is to those killed by the wildfires, droughts and floods it is likely to bring – and also to deaths caused by global heating.

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Hundreds of thousands are expected to die, millions to go hungry.

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