A consortium of climate experts warned that the strongest El Niño event in a millennium, now warming the Pacific Ocean about 2.6 °C above the 30‑year average, could generate up to 451,000 extra heat‑related deaths worldwide over the next six months.
The anomaly is projected to peak at roughly 4 °C above normal by November, a magnitude scientists have described as “Godzilla‑level” and which they say will make 2027 the hottest year on record.
Forecasters across the globe are already flagging heightened risks of wildfires, floods and severe storms, while the UK’s Met Office cautioned that the remote tropical disturbance can still amplify wet and stormy conditions across north‑west Europe during autumn and early winter.
In response, the UK government has urged citizens to stockpile essential supplies, recommending two to three litres of drinking water per person per day and an additional six to seven litres for hygiene and cooking, as well as a reserve of non‑perishable foods such as oats, rice, pasta, lentils, canned fish and long‑life milk.
Supply‑chain specialist Professor Richard Wilding told the BBC that items normally abundant in supermarkets could suddenly become scarce, underscoring the need for households to be self‑sufficient for several days in the event of power or water outages.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, citing the looming El Niño, called for greater resilience, noting that the phenomenon will likely bring drier summers and wetter, stormier winters to the UK and more extreme flooding in Asia.
The London Assembly’s Green leader Caroline Russell echoed the warning, urging public bodies and businesses to plan for a hotter summer and a potentially harsher winter storm season, and to consider long‑term measures such as reservoir building and agricultural reforms.
Separately, the National Audit Office warned that Britain’s food supply chain remains vulnerable to extreme weather, disease outbreaks, cyber‑attacks and climate change, and criticised the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs for over‑reliance on private firms to manage disruptions.