Return of El Niño raises risk of hunger, drought and malaria, scientists warn

A wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes. Greenhouse gases drove up the temperatures of deadly heatwaves in July. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The return of El Niño against the backdrop of the climate crisis will hurt people’s health in many parts of the world, scientists have warned.

The hot natural weather pattern is back after three years of its cooler sister, La Niña, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed last month. As it grows stronger, scientists fear it will raise the risk in some countries of hunger, drought and malaria.