El Nino is back. Extreme heat, droughts and floods predicted by WMO, OCHA, ACAPS, agencies   28 July 2026   UN Climate Chief: "The climate alarm is blaring, from every direction."   Statement issued by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell on 28th July 2026, as spiraling climate-driven disasters put lives at risk and hammer economies around the world:   "The climate alarm is blaring, from every direction. Around the world, climate-driven disasters are reaching nightmare proportions, as the costs of humanity’s addiction to burning coal, oil and gas keep spiraling upwards.   These record-breaking wildfires tearing through France, Spain and other parts of Europe, forcing mass evacuations and hammering regional and national economies, follow brutal heatwaves that have dried out landscapes. With the mercury set to soar again this week, the awful costs of this climate crisis – both human and economic – are now reaching national emergency levels.   In North Africa, temperatures are approaching 49°C, putting lives and livelihoods in grave jeopardy, and putting hospitals and power systems under severe strain. In Chile, deadly storms have destroyed homes and lives. While in Japan, records are tumbling as temperatures soar, now reaching the longest 40°C heat streak ever recorded.   These spiraling disasters are now the lived reality for billions in a world getting rapidly hotter, as humanity moves too slowly from fossil fuels to clean energy and to protect forests.   The science on the cause is unequivocal: global heating, driven by humanity burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, is making protracted heatwaves, severe floods and violent mega-storms more frequent, more intense and more costly.   What needs to be done is equally clear: leave coal, oil and gas behind faster, scale up renewables, and protect people where the impacts are already hitting hardest. Many vulnerable countries on the frontlines need support to move at the speed and scale this crisis demands.   http://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-the-climate-alarm-is-blaring-from-every-direction http://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-europe-s-savage-heatwave-has-the-fingerprints-of-the-climate-crisis-all-over-it http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/07/global-extreme-heat-as-rights-burn/   5 Aug. 2026   50 million more people in highly vulnerable communities globally are set to be pushed into acute hunger because of the strengthening El Nino weather pattern, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reports.   “El Nino is a massive threat to the food security of millions who are already vulnerable,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Acting Executive Director. “The sooner we help families to prepare for these climate shocks, the greater our ability to save lives and protect livelihoods.”   WFP noted that the 2015-2016 El Nino led to acute food insecurity of between 60 to 100 million people. Early projections indicate that the 2026-2027 El Nino could push at some 50 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of next year.   After analysing 45 countries already considered food insecure – and where El Nino will significantly influence rainfall patterns, temperatures, floods and droughts – the agency expects the total number of acutely food-insecure people in impacted countries to rise from 225 million to 274 million people, an increase of approximately 22 per cent.   WFP stressed the variety of El Niño’s impact: “Some countries are already experiencing below-average rainfall, flooding and unusually hot temperatures, while others are expected to face deteriorating conditions during upcoming planting seasons and harvests.”   East and Southern Africa face substantial risks, particularly where upcoming rainy seasons are critical for food production. More than 18 million people could see their food security deteriorate, representing a 26 per cent increase. Southern African countries are particularly exposed because many households depend on rain-fed subsistence agriculture.   Latin America and the Caribbean could see one of the sharpest rises in food insecurity, with more than 16 million people affected. Central America is projected to have the largest proportional increase (83.1 per cent) of all areas analysed in the report.   Asia and the Pacific could see significant impacts in several already vulnerable countries with an estimated 8.2 million additional people facing acute food insecurity.   West and Central Africa are also at risk with food insecurity projected to increase by 12 per cent, affecting nearly six million additional people.   WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have appealed for increased funding support to help at-risk communities prepare for El Nino to help protect lives, livelihoods and food security before emergencies escalate. Experiences from prior El Nino events have shown that $1 invested in anticipatory programs can save between $7 in avoided losses and response costs.   El Nino is expected to peak around December 2026, but the effects will be felt throughout 2027 in many countries, owing to impacts on future harvests. “Drought, flooding and extreme temperatures are already putting communities at risk,” WFP warned.   http://www.wfp.org/news/world-food-programme-ramps-preparedness-and-response-plans-el-nino-threatens-push-tens http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/05/el-nino-could-push-50m-people-acute-hunger-next-year http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/an-unprecedented-el-nio-and-its-implications-for-the-weather-forecast   3 July 2026   El Nino conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are forecast to strengthen rapidly over the coming months, increasing the likelihood of heatwaves, droughts, heavy rainfall and other extreme weather events in many parts of the world, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).   “El Nino conditions are already underway and are forecast to strengthen rapidly into a strong event - as accurately anticipated by WMO forecasts. 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,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.   “El Nino will give an extra boost to global temperatures,” said WMO scientist Alvaro Silva. “We know that during El Nino years, the global temperatures normally reach record levels.”   El Nino events typically occur every two to seven years and usually last between nine and twelve months. They often begin developing between March and June, reach peak intensity between November and February, and exert their strongest influence on global temperatures during the year following their onset.   UN relief chief calls for early action as El Nino threatens vulnerable communities. (OCHA)   "El Nino is back. Extreme heat, droughts and floods are once again set to devastate communities across Latin America, Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific.   The last El Nino in 2023-24 left tens of millions of people in need of food, nutrition, water, sanitation, health, agricultural support and protection.   The forecasts are clear: this one looks even worse. It comes on top of widespread conflict, rising numbers of people on the move, and as soaring fuel, fertilizer and food prices are squeezing the most vulnerable families – while the humanitarian system reels from deep cuts.   We need early, flexible financing – more effective and less costly in the long run – to match the scale of the risk. We ask for the world to prioritize conflict resolution and support to communities forced to flee. And we urge braver climate action in place of the short term and selfish decisions that are pushing us relentlessly towards the 1.5°C warming cliff edge. The choice is clear: we can wait for disaster, or we can invest in resilience".   http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/el-nino-forecast-intensify-increasing-likelihood-of-extreme-weather http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/press-releases http://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02293-y http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/07/1167911   Global El-Nino overview: countries to watch. (ACAPS)   Strong El Nino conditions are expected to persist into early 2027, bringing widespread climate extremes that could intensify humanitarian needs across multiple regions. Drought, flooding, heatwaves, storms, disease outbreaks, and agricultural losses are likely to intersect with conflict, displacement, economic pressures, and rising global temperatures, creating cascading impacts for millions of people. Countries already facing fragile humanitarian conditions are expected to bear the greatest burden, underscoring the need for early preparedness and anticipatory action before these overlapping risks deepen existing crises: http://tinyurl.com/uym5z7rp   El Nino is putting millions of lives at risk in eastern and southern Africa. (UN News)   In eastern Africa, from Somali to Tanzania, it tends to mean too much rain. Flash floods, rivers bursting their banks, landslides, homes underwater, roads washed out, clinics and schools cut off.   In southern Africa, from Zambia to South Africa and from Namibia to Mozambique, it usually means the opposite; not enough rain which means crops failing, water sources drying up, and pastures disappearing.   Different weather, but the same outcome; the most vulnerable people lose the safety nets that keep them alive.   Esnart Chongani is a farmer in Zambia. She said the 2024 drought meant her family harvested no maize at all. “I cannot remember anything like this,” she said. People are so hungry. The generosity of our community has disappeared because everyone is struggling.”   Martha Kalumbi in Malawi, whose baby was hospitalised for malnutrition said a failed harvest left her family and everyone around her, with nothing.   “My child was always crying. Doctors told me she was starving and getting malnourished,” she said. “I was afraid that my baby might die. The situation was painful.”   And it's not just hunger. Floods contaminate water supplies, which fuels outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne disease. Standing water breeds mosquitoes, driving up malaria.   People lose homes and get displaced, sometimes for good. In Somalia, a mother of nine named Asha Mohamed was pushed from her home by the 2023 floods.   “Life became challenging after the floods,” she said. “My children fell sick, and I had no money to buy medicine or take them to a proper health facility.”   June 2026   El Nino set to fuel more extreme weather, says WMO   A new World Meteorological Organization (WMO) El Nino/La Nina Update indicates an 80% likelihood of an El Nino event during June–August 2026. Probabilities for this to continue until at least November are near or above 90%. Although some uncertainty remains about El Nino peak strength and timing, most forecast models suggest it will be strong.   WMO El Nino/Updates are the world’s most authoritative source of information for governments, humanitarian agencies and climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, health, energy and water management.   They are based on a consensus from WMO Global Producing Centres, experts from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and climate prediction centres around the world and are produced through a collaborative effort between the WMO and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI).   Statement by Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization:   "This update matters because El Nino is a major driver of global weather and climate patterns. A warmer ocean adds heat and moisture to the climate system which can serve to worsen some climate extremes including heatwaves and heavy rainfall. The strong El Nino of 2023-2024 added a temporary warming effect on top of an already long-term warming trend. This contributed to 2024 becoming the hottest year on record.   In some regions it is likely we will see heavy rainfall and floods; in others drought conditions; and in others, increased or reduced tropical cyclone activity. We can also expect an increased risk of extreme heat, with higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns adding further stress on human health, ecosystems, agriculture, and energy systems.   Extreme heat alone is already one of the deadliest climate hazards we face. An El Nino event will intensify this threat: more heat-related illness, wider spread of vector-borne diseases, increased pressure on food and water systems, and communities that were already struggling will be pushed further beyond their limits.   The footprint of an El Nino travels far beyond its origins in the Pacific Ocean, impacting agriculture, energy supplies, trade, water resources, supply chains, and livelihoods across entire regions".   Statement by Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General :   “The science is clear: El Nino is arriving on our doorstep in the coming months with 90% certainty. The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is. El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. Impacts will hit even harder, travel even farther, and cross borders with devastating speed".   "The only effective response is climate action equal to the crisis – ending the addiction to fossil fuels, accelerating the shift to renewables, protecting the most vulnerable, and delivering early warning systems for all.”   http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/wmo-prepare-el-nino http://wmo.int/content/launch-of-wmo-el-ninola-nina-bulletin-june-august-2026 http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167620 http://www.dw.com/en/is-africa-ready-for-el-nino-drought-floods/a-77826694   11 June 2026   El Nino under way and threatens weather extremes, scientists say. (agencies)   The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has declared that El Nino conditions are now under way in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures having risen sharply in recent months.   Many forecasts suggest this could end up as a so-called "super" El Nino, and even be among the strongest ever recorded.   Coming on top of decades of human-caused warming, it could bring another record-hot year - most likely in 2027 - with disruption to weather, food supplies and economies running well into that year.   According to NOAA's June outlook, "there is a 63% chance of a very strong El Nino during November-January, that would rank among the largest El Nino events in the historical record going back to 1950," the agency said.   The three strongest events since then have been in 1982/83, 1997/98 and 2015/16.   “El Nino affects weather patterns by bringing “a lot of extra heat to the surface, fueling a lot of extreme events for a lot of places around the world”, said Abby Frazier, a Clark University climate scientist. “It can get dire very quickly”.   Some of the latest US and European (ECMWF) climate models go further, showing temperatures in the tropical Pacific potentially climbing more than 3C above average by the end of the year. The concern is that all this is happening on an already much hotter planet.   "We do need to worry about the impacts," said Prof Adam Scaife, head of monthly to decadal prediction at the UK Met Office. "The current El Nino is… riding on top of a substantial amount of global warming. "This means that the actual temperatures in affected regions could well be unprecedented, as the warming from El Nino is being topped up by climate change."   "At the end of this year and into 2027, we're likely to see very high temperatures globally," Prof Scaife said. "In 2027, we're likely to see excess heat on top of the global warming we've already got, and that could easily lead to another year above 1.5 degrees [of warming above late-19th-Century levels]."   "An El Nino declaration is not just another weather forecast - for millions of people it is a deadly siren to be feared," said Mohamed Adow, director of campaign group Power Shift Africa.   "It means failed rains, dying crops, rising food prices, and families pushed to the edge yet again. In East Africa especially, this will land on communities already battered by droughts and floods in recent years."   Experts warn the conditions may lead to shock in the global food supply with crops such as maize and rice especially vulnerable to El Nino and drought reducing food production in countries such as South Africa, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil.   http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/09/super-el-nino-global-economy http://reliefweb.int/report/world/inter-agency-report-global-enso-analysis-cell-el-nino-status-and-humanitarian-outlook http://www.fightfoodcrises.net/articles/wfp-and-fao-publish-analysis-potential-impacts-el-nino http://www.wfp.org/news/bracing-el-nino-fao-and-wfp-launch-joint-appeal-protect-88-million-people-extreme-weather http://350.org/press-release/350-org-responds-to-wmo-warning-on-developing-el-nino/   June 2026   Heat has killed 200,000 people in Europe in just four years. (UN News)   Extreme heat has claimed more than 200,000 lives across Europe over the past four years, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which warned that heatwaves are becoming an increasingly frequent and deadly public health emergency driven by climate change.   “We need a coordinated, powerful and institutional response,” said WHO Regional Director Dr. Hans Kluge at the launch of the updated Heat–Health Action Plans Guidance in Berlin on Thursday.   The new guidance outlines evidence-based measures governments can take to reduce heat-related illness and deaths, including early warning systems, cooling centres, urban greening initiatives and targeted support for vulnerable populations. WHO stressed that individual actions such as staying hydrated and avoiding direct heat exposure remain important but are not sufficient to confront what it described as a growing systemic challenge.   Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief, said: “Climate change is running rampant, caused by the world’s addiction to burning coal, oil and gas. But the solutions are equally clear: a faster shift to clean energy – which is now much cheaper than fossil fuels – as well as protecting forests and building climate resilience.”   http://wmo.int/media/news/record-breaking-heat-spreads-through-europe http://wmo.int/media/news/western-europe-has-hottest-june-record http://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289062930 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01593-X/fulltext http://www.savethechildren.net/news/two-thirds-children-western-europe-exposed-extreme-heatwaves-record-breaking-first-half-2026 http://www.worldweatherattribution.org/fossil-fuel-emissions-have-rapidly-worsened-european-heatwaves-in-just-a-few-decades/ http://climate.copernicus.eu/exceptionally-hot-and-dry-conditions-fuel-wildfires-europe-ocean-surface-temperatures-reach-record http://www.wri.org/insights/global-trends-forest-fires http://www.wri.org/insights/climate-fire-feedback-loop-explained http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/deforestation-lowers-threshold-for-amazon-degradation-to-below-2degc-warming http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/earth2019s-heat-imbalance-reaches-record-high-as-human-caused-warming-hits-1-37degc
	The Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell   June 2026   Nearly half of the world’s children – or 1.1 billion – are now exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, threatening their health, education, and survival, according to a new UNICEF report launched today.   Almost every child in the world faces at least one climate hazard, while more than 4 million could face as many as six overlapping threats, the report warns.   The Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026 uses the latest available data to map children’s exposure to the eight most frequent climate threats, including coastal floods, droughts, extreme heat, fires, heatwaves, riverine floods, sand and dust storms, and tropical storms.   For the first time, the report reveals exactly where – and how intense – multiple and overlapping climate threats are affecting children and the essential social services they rely on, and how governments can take concrete actions to respond.   “The lives of children continue to be upended by the impact of heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Half of the world’s children are now living with at least three overlapping climate threats shaping their daily lives.”   Drought, extreme heat, and heatwaves are the most widespread combination of climate hazards, with over 296 million children living in areas exposed to all three conditions, according to the findings. The second most common combination – drought, extreme heat, and tropical storms – leaves more than 115 million children worldwide exposed to these overlapping threats.   In the Sahel region of Africa, one of the hardest hit, more than 4 million children face the triple threat of heatwaves, extreme heat, and sand and dust storms, while in countries across Asia, for example Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan, children are exposed to more climate hazards at once and at a higher intensity than anywhere else in the world.   High-income countries are not immune to overlapping climate shocks. In Italy, for example, more than 6 million children are exposed to prolonged heatwaves and drought, the data show. Yet the country illustrates how investment in climate change adaptation can mitigate some of the risks children face, while highlighting the need for further action as the climate crisis intensifies.   In addition to the eight most frequent climate hazards, the report analyses children’s exposure to air pollution and malaria; two risks that are highly sensitive to the effects of climate change.   Data show that air pollution affects nearly every child globally, while 1 billion children are exposed to malaria, adding another layer of danger for children already facing multiple climate hazards.   The report also presents a framework to analyse the different types of risks children face, based on their exposure to climate shocks and their vulnerability, determined by access to essential social services such as healthcare, clean water, education, and more.   The approach can be applied in different ways, from looking at risks related to individual or multiple climate hazards to examining risks across sectors, revealing the threats children face across different contexts.   For example, considering multiple hazards and vulnerabilities together, children in landlocked* and fragile* countries such as the Central African Republic or Chad face overlapping climate hazards while also lacking access to basic services, making it much harder for them to cope and recover.   Meanwhile, all children in 24 Small Island Developing States*, including from Haiti to Vanuatu, are exposed to tropical storms, which can disrupt entire islands at once and overwhelm essential services, the report notes.   Without urgent efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate hazards will grow more frequent and severe, placing even greater strain on government budgets and systems, threatening children's well-being, the report warns.   To protect children’s rights from climate threats and adapt to growing environmental changes, UNICEF is calling on governments, businesses and relevant actors to:   Reduce emissions and take ambitious action to fulfil existing international commitments, grounded in the best available science, including the urgent phasing-out of fossil fuels and a just transition towards renewable energy.   Protect children through inclusive climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and responses to loss and damage that prioritise the resilience of social services, ensuring that children and child-critical services are included in national adaptation plans and sector strategies, disaster risk governance, preparedness and response plans.   This includes, for example, developing safe and green learning facilities and climate‑resilient health care facilities, securing children’s food security, making multi‑hazard early warning systems effective for children and accessible to the services they rely on, and strengthening the efficiency of water and sanitation services, as well as shock‑responsive social protection systems.   Empower children and young people to meaningfully participate in climate action by investing in climate education, knowledge and skills, and by strengthening the capacity of decision makers and experts to respect children’s rights to be heard, freedom of expression, and participation in decisions that affect their lives.   “This analysis can help governments and decision-makers plan better and invest more effectively in resilient services,” said Russell. “When we strengthen health and education systems, and improve infrastructure with children in mind, we protect them from today’s climate threats and help secure their future.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/nearly-half-worlds-children-exposed-least-three-overlapping-climate-threats-unicef Visit the related web page
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