Super El Nino: The ominous 1877 disaster returning that could break the world

The article warns that a “Super El Nino” could intensify extreme weather risks this year, building on the last time sea-surface conditions rose similarly in 1877. Scientists cited expect ocean temperatures in parts of the Pacific to climb more than 2°C above normal. The piece describes 1877’s chain of impacts as including roughly 50 million deaths over three years, with drought-driven famine affecting Asia, South America, and Africa before conflicts, trade disruption, and social unrest escalated. It explains El Nino mechanisms, saying warmer Pacific waters strengthen currents, shift rainfall patterns, and intensify atmospheric circulation tied to trade winds. It also notes the broader driver of record-breaking extremes, as global air temperatures continue to rise. For Australia, the article says impacts may be moderated by the Indian Ocean Dipole, and it adds that 1877 also saw record highs there. No specific government actions or budgets are provided.