Nearly half a million people worldwide could face "additional deaths" over the next nine months due to extreme heat

Scientists warn that due to the current "super El Niño," land temperatures could rise to approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius above normal in the coming months, with a 44% increase in days of extreme heat compared to the average.

 They estimate that the heat could lead to around 239,000 additional deaths worldwide over the next six months, and up to 451,000 during the first nine months of the phenomenon.

Countries in the Global South, including Nigeria, Sudan, Niger, Chad, nations in Southeast Asia, India, Indonesia, and Brazil, will be hit the hardest.

 Researchers emphasize that such temperatures could become the norm within a few decades. However, some of these deaths could still be prevented if aid is directed to the most vulnerable regions in advance.