El Nino-Induced Drought Imminent for Amazon Rainforest

A severe drought is expected to hit the Amazon rainforest due to an intense El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean. According to scientists, this El Niño will be the most intense in modern history, with ocean temperatures already well above normal and still rising.

Adam Scaife at the Met Office says that very strong El Niños like this tend to concentrate their heat close to the coast of South America, leading to more intense impacts in the region, including drought in the Amazon. The most up-to-date forecasts from the Met Office show a 'terribly dangerous [rainfall] anomaly' developing over the Amazon by January.

The Amazon plays a crucial role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is home to vast biodiversity. However, severe drought can have dire consequences for wildlife and the planet. An extreme Amazon drought during the 2015-16 El Niño event led to huge wildfires that destroyed around 2.5 billion trees and plants and emitted 495 million tonnes of CO2.