El Niño events to double this century

Dilemmas arising from climate change will increase sharply this century.

Michael Slezak.

Writing in New Scientist, Michael Slezak, has warned that extreme El Niño events that can kill thousands will double in their frequency.

In his story headed: “Devastating El Niño events to double this century”, Slezak said the finding pointing increased El Niño events was further evidence of the worsening of global warming.

The last major El Niño, during 1997 and 1998, is estimated to have caused up to $45 billion in damage and kill 23,000 people.

It brought flooding to the Americas and Africa, tropical cyclones to Pacific islands, and droughts and wildfires to Australia and south-east Asia.