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U.N. chief: El Niño is here and 'the climate crisis is in overdrive'; world must protect people now
Summary
The U.N. Secretary‑General warned that an intensifying El Niño and record sea‑surface temperatures are driving extreme heat worldwide, citing WMO forecasts and a WFP hunger warning and urging immediate measures to protect vulnerable populations.
The U.N. Secretary‑General warned reporters that El Niño has arrived and is amplifying extreme heat worldwide, citing new forecasts from the World Meteorological Organization that show sea surface temperatures in key monitoring regions averaging nearly 3 degrees Celsius above normal and that nearly every land area is likely to be hotter than normal through October. "The climate crisis is in overdrive," he said.
He highlighted how extreme heat already is killing people and disrupting services, warning that rising temperatures threaten food supplies, power grids and transport. He cited a World Food Programme estimate that "as many as 45,000,000 people could face acute food insecurity" as current crises combine with climate impacts. The Secretary‑General said the warming is widening inequalities and that "the warm up act is over. We cannot afford to wait for the main event."
