El Nino-driven record heat could lead to 451,000 more deaths, group says

BENGALURU, India — An influential research report released on Wednesday by the Climate Impact Lab, based at the University of Chicago, warns that the powerful El Nino event and the soaring global temperatures it is causing, coupled with severe droughts, wildfires, and dwindling water supplies, could result in nearly half a million additional heat-related deaths worldwide by the end of February.

Compared to the average year, these heat-related fatalities, amounting to 451,000, could be directly linked to El Nino, according to the grim prediction. The greatest impact is anticipated in poorer nations grappling with food shortages and soaring energy expenses, exacerbated by climate change and the aftermath of the Iran conflict.

Michael Greenstone, a co-founder of the research group and co-author of the study, stated that the heat danger is likely to endure beyond February, despite the expected cessation of this El Nino event by then. Greenstone emphasized that the repercussions of the weather phenomenon may persist well into the following summer. The study demonstrates that heat poses the most significant threat in regions that are already hot and prone to extreme conditions.