Leaders | Fair warning

El Niño has started. Preparations must too

It will bring chaotic weather to much of the world

A toppled tree from Tropical Storm Hilary covers a car in Los Angeles
Image: AP

California rarely sees the types of hurricanes and storms that routinely pummel Florida, Louisiana and Texas. But on August 20th tropical storm Hilary slammed into it from the south. Unprecedented amounts of rain pelted downtown Los Angeles and flooded the state’s arid valleys. Without missing a beat, forecasts then shifted from drenching to baking, as a heat dome fastened itself over much of the southern United States all the way up to the Great Lakes.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Fair warning ”

From the August 26th 2023 edition

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