Michael Le Page at New Scientist:
Around 450,000 people worldwide could die by February as a result of hotter weather caused by the record-breaking El Niño, climate scientists are warning. The estimate is based on how many deaths have resulted from past temperature extremes around the world.
“We’re hoping this information is actionable, that decisions can be made to move resources ahead of time,” says Emily Grover-Kopec at the Rhodium Group. This could include assigning health workers to check on the most vulnerable, ensuring people have enough water and providing fans or air conditioning.
Most of the deaths in the next six months will be in the southern hemisphere, because the extra heat will coincide with spring and summer there. But El Niño is expected to persist into the northern hemisphere’s spring, so there will be another wave of deaths there after February.
“We’re going to see anomalously high mortality numbers move north,” says Grover-Kopec. “I fully expect these numbers to get bigger, unfortunately.” India and Pakistan could be hit especially hard, she says.
More here.
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