Climate Threat

El Niño
“El Niño is pouring gasoline on a planet that is already burning”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres says that El Niño – which experts say is continuing to grow in strength and is expected to get stronger in late summer – will “pour gasoline on a planet that is already burning”, AFP reports.

“Two months ago I warned that El Niño was on the doorstep. Now it is in the house – and it is turning up the heat,” he says.

In addition to El Niño, a “positive dipole” is also expected, making the western part of the Indian Ocean warmer than normal and the eastern part colder, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Extreme Weather in Europe
“Exceptionally Severe” Drought Underway in England

England, which otherwise has a very wet and rainy reputation, is currently experiencing an “exceptionally severe” drought, the country’s Environment Agency announced according to CNN.

The combination of high temperatures and little rainfall has led to drought in the central, southern and eastern parts of the country.

“We are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. It is an exceptionally serious situation that will have far-reaching consequences for our environment, wildlife and economy,” says Helen Wakeham, head of the Environment Agency’s water unit.

Only seven percent of the normal rainfall this year has fallen in England. The country’s rivers have water levels 78 percent below normal.