Why Pacific Warming Could Cause 450,000 More Heat Deaths

Over 450,000 more people could die from heat through February 2027 because of an unusually strong El Niño — a natural warming of Pacific waters that throws weather off balance like a fever, the University of Chicago's Climate Impact Lab projects compared to a normal year. Land could run 1.2C hotter with 44% more scorching days, hurting poor, food-short countries most.