The Pacific Ocean is warming unusually quickly as El Niño strengthens, prompting UNICEF to warn that millions of children in Latin America are at risk. Forecasters expect the climate pattern to intensify further before reaching its peak around December.
This year's El Niño has already surpassed previous records, according to the available forecast summary. The natural climate fluctuation can influence weather thousands of miles away, bringing drought to some regions and floods to others.
How El Niño affects weather
El Niño is the warm phase of a natural fluctuation in Earth's climate system. It involves warmer surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and can alter wind and rainfall patterns around the world.
These changes can produce different conditions across regions, including:
- Drought in some areas
- Flooding in others
UNICEF warns of risks to children
UNICEF has warned that millions of children in Latin America are at risk as the weather pattern develops. The warning comes as forecasters anticipate further strengthening before the expected peak around December.
The pace of warming in the Pacific and the potential for shifts in wind and rain patterns have brought renewed attention to the risks El Niño may pose across the region.
