{
  "id": 6954261,
  "title": "Africa Braces for strongest El Niño since 1950 – heat, drought and floods loom",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/africa-braces-for-strongest-el-nino-since-1950-heat-drought-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T16:42:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/africa-braces-strongest-el-nino-since-1950-heat-drought-and-floods-loom/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A powerful El Niño is expected to hit Africa later this year, potentially becoming the strongest of its kind since 1950, according to forecasts from the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The extended period of exceptionally warm ocean temperatures and altered atmospheric circulation in the Pacific Ocean is anticipated to generate severe weather effects across the continent.\n\nSouthern Africa is predicted to face prolonged drought and extreme heat, while East Africa may encounter excessive rainfall and flooding. Dr. Henno Havenga, a climatologist at North-West University, explained that El Niño develops when the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean warms unusually, and the atmospheric circulation above it changes, affecting weather patterns well beyond the Pacific basin.\n\nHavenga warned that drought is a gradual hazard that builds over time, potentially catching communities off guard. He emphasized that reduced rainfall and higher temperatures in Southern Africa could negatively impact crops and livestock, particularly for small-scale farmers who may lose both food and income sources. In East Africa, the flooding could damage infrastructure, contaminate water supplies, displace communities, strain health services, and reduce hydropower generation due to lower reservoir levels.\n\nTo mitigate the impacts, Havenga urged governments to implement preventive measures before the situation worsens. He stressed the importance of using advance warning systems to reduce exposure and prepare for the potential difficulties ahead, rather than waiting until the drought or floods have already established themselves.",
  "summary": "Reduced rainfall and higher temperatures in Southern Africa could damage crops and livestock.",
  "key_points": [
    "El Niño expected to be strongest since 1950, according to NOAA forecasts",
    "Southern Africa to face prolonged drought and extreme heat",
    "East Africa to encounter excessive rainfall and flooding"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}