Extreme El Niño projected to cause 450,000 heat deaths in six months

Climate scientists warn that a record-breaking El Niño event already surpassing historical temperature peaks will kill hundreds of thousands globally through direct heat exposure and secondary impacts including droughts, wildfires, and floo

First covered Sep 21, 2026 · 6:25 AM PT · 8 articles

Extreme El Niño projected to cause 450,000 heat deaths in six months — Image via theguardian.com

Coverage

1d Grist Whether it’s ‘super’ or ‘Godzilla,’ El Niño is already breaking records

2d Guardian Environment The Guardian view on a supersized El Niño: a natural phenomenon and human folly are a lethal combination | Editorial — Hundreds of thousands are expected to die, millions to go hungry. This is not just about weather patterns, but about injustice Some warnings are so grave that…

3d Inside Climate News Super El Niño to Cause 451,000 Heat Deaths — More than 451,000 people are projected to die across the globe in the next six months from the additional heat brought by a super El Niño, according to…

4d Guardian Environment What is an El Niño and how could it cause the hottest year on record? – video — This year’s ‘super' El Niño currently heating up the planet has surpassed the highest temperature ever recorded for the phenomenon, several months before it…

4d Guardian Environment Huge El Niño projected to cause 450,000 deaths in next six months — New report predicts a heavy toll from Nigeria to the US – and comes on top of existing impacts of the climate crisis More than 450,000 people are projected to…

5d Guardian Environment California braces for record El Niño storms as governor declares emergency — Super El-Niño has already broken temperature records and is predicted to bring an extremely wet winter to the state ‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through…

5d Carbon Brief Analysis: ‘Super El Niño’ reaches ‘remarkable’ all-time record — This year’s so-called “super El Niño” is entering into record-breaking territory. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific now equal… The post…

5d Guardian Environment ‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak — ‘Godzilla-level’ phenomenon is supercharging the climate crisis and will have a huge impact on communities across the world The “jaw-dropping” El Niño…

Primary sources

gov.ca.gov Governor Newsom proclaims state of emergency to bolster statewide El Nino preparedness, protect California | Governor of California

metoffice.gov.uk An ‘unprecedented’ El Niño and its implications for the weather forecast

psl.noaa.gov Download Climate Timeseries: : NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory

Related coverage

2d Guardian Environment Friday briefing: How a grassroots film is turning climate anxiety into action

More coverage from around the web

cfr.org A Super El Niño Looks Likely This Year | Council on Foreign Relations

theweathernetwork.com The Super El Niño that contributed to tens of millions of deaths - The Weather Network

news.climate.columbia.edu You Asked: What Exactly Is a 'Super' El Niño?

sundayguardianlive.com Could Super El Niño 2026 Cause 451,000 Additional Heat-Related Deaths in 6 Months? Here’s Why and What We Know So Far

nbcnews.com super sized el ni o over la ni next n589166

Discussion

Bluesky: @akshatrathi.bsky.social Akshat Rathi · 4d ago · 42 ♥ Huge #ElNiño projected to cause 450,000 heat deaths in next six months - New report predicts a heavy toll from Nigeria to the US – and comes on top of existing impacts of the #climatecrisis Story by me www.theguardian.com/environment/...

HN: 19 pts0 comments Hacker News · 5d ago Super El Niño bursts through temperature record months ahead of peak · 11 pts3 comments Hacker News · 4d ago El Niño projected to cause 450k deaths in next six months

Appeared in: 2026-09-22 (#19) · 2026-09-23 (#13) · 2026-09-24 (#13) · 2026-09-25 (#15)

← Back to the brief