UN warns of extreme weather: “Just a warning”

 

Fanny Marhaug 

 

Published 06:29Updated 09:47

El Niño is getting stronger and is expected to drive extreme weather around the world.

Now the UN is issuing a stark warning.

– Two months ago I warned that El Niño was outside the door. Now it has come inside the house – and is turning up the heat, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

El Niño is a natural weather phenomenon that occurs when ocean water in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean becomes unusually warm. When the phenomenon is strong, it can affect the weather over large parts of the world and increase the risk of extreme heat, drought, torrential rain and flooding.

At the same time, measurements from Columbia University show that sea temperatures in the area of ​​the Pacific Ocean used to measure El Niño’s strength have reached the highest level ever measured 15 weeks into an El Niño event, according to researchers.

– El Niño is getting stronger and pouring gasoline on a planet that is already burning, with extreme heat domes, apocalyptic forest fires and record-breaking oceans, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

May last until 2027

According to the UN Meteorological Organization (WMO), El Niño is expected to be at its strongest between August and October. The organization warns that the phenomenon could lead to extreme heat, drought and heavy rains well into next year and estimates that El Niño could persist until spring 2027.

Guterres describes the extreme summer that the world is already experiencing as a foretaste of what lies ahead.

– We are already in a summer of record heat and apocalyptic forest fires in Spain, France and many other countries. But according to the latest research, this is only a warning.

At the same time, the UN chief sharply criticizes the continued use of fossil fuels.

– More coal, oil and gas will lead to an even more dangerous future. "If we do not act now, the consequences will be even more deadly," Guterres said.