Britain must prepare for El Niño shocks, says MP

An MP has urged the Prime Minister to prepare the UK for a "super-El Niño" climate event that could have a major impact on global food supplies and economies. Chris Hinchliff, the Labour MP for North East Hertfordshire, wrote to Andy Burnham asking him to "take urgent action" and to chair the government's Climate and Nature Security Taskforce. El Niño is a natural weather pattern in the Pacific, but when combined with human-driven global warming can cause a spike in temperatures and more extreme weather . A government spokesperson said: "The Climate and Nature Security Taskforce will ensure that Britain is better prepared for the threats that the climate crisis creates, including from El Niño." Meteorologists have been tracking the development of this year's El Niño, which is part of a natural ebb and flow cycle with its cooler sister, La Niña. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently said the already "strong" system was " expected to strengthen during August to ...