The effects of what could be one of the strongest El Niño events are becoming more pronounced, just as many countries are struggling with high energy prices.
“Exceptionally early” heat is shattering records across Western Europe, straining grids and causing threat to life, the Associated Press wrote; London hit 95.2°F (35.1°C) on Tuesday, topping a record set the day prior.
In India, a heat wave has pushed electricity consumption to all-time highs, triggering blackouts, while consumers there also reel from rapidly rising fuel costs resulting from the Iran war. In addition to raising the global average temperature, El Niños are also inflationary.
“The key risk is the heat triggers stronger demand in China,” the world’s number one LNG buyer, Bloomberg wrote.