Scientists warn of extreme heat risks from El Niño and rising global temperatures

Scientists and international figures have launched the ‘Alert El Niño’ campaign to urge governments to implement immediate prevention and adaptation measures. The initiative aims to prepare for the anticipated 2026-27 El Niño episode, which experts warn could push global temperatures to levels “incompatible with human life.”

Researchers from the Spanish Supercomputing Center (CSIC) have warned that this phenomenon could raise temperatures by 1.8 to 2 degrees Celsius. In regions like southern Spain, this could lead to summer temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius.

Complementing these warnings, NASA climate models and the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) highlight the increasing risk of extreme heat. NASA researchers focus on the wet-bulb temperature—a measure of heat and humidity—noting that when this exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the human body can no longer cool itself through perspiration, posing a lethal threat. Projections suggest certain regions could regularly exceed these thresholds before 2050, potentially rendering some cities uninhabitable within the next three decades.