A new report from the Climate Impact Lab (a University of Chicago-based research group) warns that the current El Niño weather cycle, amplified by human-caused climate change, could lead to approximately 451,000 additional heat-related deaths globally between June 2023 and the end of February 2024, compared with a typical year. The heaviest toll is expected in poorer nations, with the Sahel region (the semi-arid belt along the southern edge of Africa's Sahara Desert) projected to suffer around 66,800 extra deaths, followed by significant losses across South and Southeast Asia and parts of Latin America. Researchers note that this El Niño — which is pushing global land temperatures roughly 1.2°C above normal and producing 44% more extremely hot days — offers a sobering preview of conditions that climate change could make routine within two decades, and urge governments to act now by establishing heat-warning systems, cooling centres, and stronger protections for vulnerable populations.