As 2022’s brunt of heat left the global stage with scorching heat, starvation as well as dying of crops attributed to drought, scientists caution about 2023’s probability of more heat.

2023 has begun with scientists warning that there is a likelihood of a return of the El Nino phenomenon later during this year as the year is expected to be hotter than 2022. This ranking makes these the fifth and sixth hottest years on record.

As cited by scientists, it will cause a rise in global temperatures and unprecedented heat waves. Guardian stated that early forecasts suggest that the El Niño climate will make the world likely to exceed 1.5C of warming.

El Niño occurs during the northern hemisphere winter and its heating effect takes months to be felt, therefore, 2024 is much more likely to set a new global temperature record.

The head of the long-range prediction at the UK Met Office, Adam Scaife, said that it is likely the next big El Niño could take the world over 1.5C.

“The probability of having the first year at 1.5C in the next five-year period is now about 50:50,” he said.

“We know that under climate change, the impacts of El Niño events are going to get stronger, and you have to add that to the effects of climate change itself, which is growing all the time. You put those two things together, and we are likely to see unprecedented heatwaves during the next El Niño.”

Scaife said the fluctuating impacts of the El Niño-La Niña cycle could be seen in many regions of the world.

“Science can now tell us when these things are coming months ahead. So we really do need to use it and be more prepared, from having readiness of emergency services right down to what crops to plant,” he said.

This is a warning call for mitigation measures to be put in place as early as now to evade the hunger and starvation faced last year as the drought laid its impacts on the people severely.