Kathmandu— In the decades since NASA scientist Dr. James E. Hansen first testified before the U.S. Senate in 1988 about human-induced global warming, he has consistently warned of future climate disruptions—and now those disruptions are here. Recent research indicates an unusually powerful El Niño event is developing, poised to exacerbate already extreme weather patterns worldwide and push temperatures to record highs. Hansen’s latest findings suggest the coming months will bring intensified heat waves, droughts, floods, and marine heatwaves, with potentially devastating consequences for global infrastructure and human life.

Unprecedented El Niño Conditions

Hansen's recent article, “Super-Duper El Niño and the Bigger Problem,” details how the current El Niño event is already exceeding historical records. The heat anomaly in the upper 300 meters of the Equatorial Pacific Ocean surpasses levels seen in previous super El Niños that caused significant global warming. Sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific are also far beyond prior events, signaling a potentially catastrophic escalation of climate impacts over the coming months and into 2027. Every data point, according to Hansen, is at an extreme reading, well outside historical norms.

Escalating Global Temperatures and Impacts

The combination of this super El Niño with existing human-caused global warming creates a dangerous feedback loop. Land temperatures reached +2.4°C relative to the 1880-1920 mean during the 2023-24 El Niño, and Hansen predicts they could approach +2.7°C in 2027—nearly 5°F warmer. This level of warming is already proving deadly; news reports from 2026 indicate over 25,000 excess deaths in Europe due to heat waves with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F), and even reaching up to 48°C (118°F) in some areas. Infrastructure is also suffering, as evidenced by the severe restrictions on major European rivers like the Rhine, Danube, Po, and Loire due to drought.

Widespread Drought and Marine Heatwaves

The impacts extend beyond Europe. Approximately 30-40% of the world’s landmass is currently experiencing drought conditions—a threefold increase compared to the 1990-2000 period. Simultaneously, over 90% of the world's oceans have experienced a sustained heatwave lasting 500 days, with temperatures 3-to-5°C above normal. This has resulted in mass marine die-offs, such as the death of 30,000 fish off the coast of Western Australia. One scientist involved in studying these marine heatwaves expressed fear at the scale and duration of the event.

Political Failure to Address the Crisis

Hansen argues that this escalating crisis is not simply a natural phenomenon but a direct result of political inaction. He points out that warnings about climate change have been ignored for decades, since his initial testimony to the Senate in 1988. The current situation, he contends, is largely a political problem stemming from the failure of world leaders to address the issue with sufficient urgency and seriousness. He expresses frustration that ordinary citizens are right to be angry at the incompetence and ignorance displayed by those in power.

Unless governments take swift and decisive action—comparable to multiple Marshall Plans—to reverse these trends, conditions are expected to worsen significantly, particularly in 2027. Hansen emphasizes the need for a fundamental shift in political will to address this existential threat.

(With inputs from CounterPunch)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.