Extreme heat linked to this year’s “super El Niño” could cause up to 451,000 excess deaths worldwide in the six months to February 2027, according to researchers at the University of Chicago’s Climate Impact Lab. The number of extremely hot days is expected to rise by 44%, with Nigeria, Indonesia and Sudan among the countries likely to be most affected. Researchers warn that the impact could extend well beyond the six-month period studied. Chloe Brimicombe, a climate scientist from the University of Oxford, shares further details about this climate phenomenon.

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Super El Niño could cause 451,000 excess deaths worldwide
AFP covers the latest CIL report on the mortality impacts of the Super El Nino.
AFP
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September 23, 2026