By Natalia Rueda 
Article written with information from CNN
As temperatures soar and weather events become more extreme, scientists are warning of a new El Niño warming phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared the start of the El Niño event, indicating an increased chance of breaking global temperature records and triggering damaging extreme weather events.
El Niño is predictably associated with an increase in global temperatures and precipitation in areas around the planet. This year’s event could see a “double whammy” of El Niño and human-caused global warming, causing temperatures to rise higher than the record seen in 2016. Countries committed to the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to less than two degrees. This El Niño event could cause global warming to exceed the tipping point of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with dangerous consequences for local ecosystems, food sources, and even U.S. economic growth.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas urged governments to “mobilize preparations” in order to limit the impacts of El Niño. Preparations should account for greater risks of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, tropical cyclones, and flooding. These could devastate communities and ecosystems in areas such as South America, Central America, the Horn of Africa, and Australia. Costly effects could be felt in countries heavily reliant on agriculture, including India’s monsoon-dependent crops.
“To save lives and livelihoods, governments must set up early warning systems and prepare for new disruptive weather events this year,” said Taalas. To mitigate the damaging impacts of El Niño, it is essential that governments implement measures to adjust weather-related risks. This includes investing in more accurate forecasting systems, providing financing for climate resilience measures, and forming collaboration networks to better manage weather disasters.
The signs of this year’s El Niño’s development should be a wake-up call to governments around the world. As temperatures continue to rise and weather events become more extreme, it is important that governments take the necessary actions to prepare for El Niño and protect their citizens from the potentially devastating impacts of global warming.