Ecuador Declares Nationwide Red Alert Over El Niño

Key facts

• Ecuador declared a nationwide red alert in response to the El Niño climate phenomenon.
• The red alert activates emergency committees responsible for precautionary evacuations and other response measures.
• El Salvador, Honduras and Panama have also declared emergencies linked to El Niño.
• Parts of Peru have declared states of emergency because of extreme weather conditions.
• Ecuador is particularly concerned about drought and wildfires, including in its Amazon region.
• El Niño is also contributing to severe weather conditions in parts of Central America and Indonesia.
• El Niño is a periodic climate phenomenon associated with the unusual warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
• This warming disrupts normal atmospheric circulation and can alter rainfall patterns, wind patterns, surface temperatures, atmospheric pressure, marine ecosystems, agriculture and fisheries.
• The effects of El Niño vary by region, with some areas experiencing drought and heat while others receive excessive rainfall and flooding.