Ecuador declares El Nino emergency

Ecuador declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino on Saturday, activating emergency committees to coordinate preventive evacuations and other measures, officials said.

The Ministry of Risk Management declared a red alert throughout the country in response to the climate phenomenon. Officials said the current El Nino could be the strongest on record.

El Nino raises surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, altering wind patterns, pressure and rainfall. It can disrupt fishing and bird migrations.

Ecuador is also expecting droughts and wildfires in its Amazon region. Panama, Honduras and El Salvador have already declared emergencies over El Nino, while Peru has declared a state of emergency in a third of its cities, warning that intense heat and rain could affect food security.

Scientists cited in the supplied information expect the current El Nino to peak by the end of the year and cause record global heat in 2027.