Powerful El Nino could cause more than 450,000 deaths, scientists say

More than 450,000 people are projected to die from additional heat due to the unusually strong El Nino event over the next six months, according to a research report. The projection, published on Wednesday by the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab, runs to February 2027 and compares estimates of heat-related deaths that could be attributed to El Nino with the level expected in a typical year. Researchers estimate that global land temperatures could climb by about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.1 degrees Fahrenheit), with extremely hot days 44 percent more frequent than in an average year. Developing nations and Africa’s Sahel region are expected to be hit disproportionately hard.