Strong El Niño Is 'Adding Fuel to a Planet Already on Fire,' UN Chief Warns

The head of the United Nations, António Guterres, issued a serious warning on Friday about the weather pattern known as El Niño. He said it is making an already dangerous climate crisis much worse. Guterres described the situation as 'adding fuel to a planet already on fire' and warned that the world is now in 'uncharted territory.' He said the combination of El Niño and human-caused climate change could push global temperatures to record-breaking levels.

El Niño is a natural weather pattern that warms the surface of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. That warming causes changes around the world, including shifts in wind, rain, and air pressure. When El Niño happens at the same time as human-caused climate change, the effects can be even more extreme. A warmer ocean and atmosphere give storms and heat waves more energy and moisture to work with.

Guterres told world leaders that two months ago he warned El Niño was approaching. 'Now it is inside the house — and turning up the heat,' he said. A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found that sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific are now averaging 3°C (5.4°F) above normal. Guterres said Pacific waters have never been this warm this early in an El Niño event.

This summer already brought extreme weather across the globe. Record-breaking heat domes, massive wildfires in Spain and France, and thousands of deaths from scorching temperatures were reported. But Guterres said this may only be the beginning. 'According to the latest science, this is only a warm-up act,' he warned.

The WMO's forecast shows that through October, almost every part of the world is expected to be hotter than normal. This raises the risk of breaking seasonal temperature records and causing severe effects worldwide. The dangers go beyond just heat. India's monsoon season is well below its usual rainfall, and hotter, drier conditions are expected across Central America, the Caribbean, parts of South America, South Asia, the Southwest Pacific, Europe, and Africa.

Guterres called the climate crisis 'in overdrive' and outlined four steps that need to be taken. First, cities and countries should create heat plans and early warning systems so people can stay safe. Second, governments should set safety rules for workers who face dangerous heat, such as those in the garment industry. Third, the design of cities, homes, schools, and hospitals should account for extreme heat. Fourth, and most importantly, Guterres said the world must stop using fossil fuels that are heating the planet, rather than treating each disaster as a separate, isolated event.