- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Toddler crushed to death in migrant Channel crossing
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
2023 'year of record climatic hazards' in Latin America: UN
Latin America and the Caribbean had their warmest year on record in 2023 as a "double-whammy" of El Nino and climate change caused major weather calamities, the World Meteorological Organization said Wednesday.
Droughts, heatwaves, extreme rainfall and a record-breaking hurricane had major impacts on health, food and energy security, and economic development, the UN body said in a new report.
"Unfortunately, 2023 was a year of record climatic hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement.
"El Nino conditions during the second half of 2023 contributed to a record warm year and exacerbated many extreme events. This combined with rising temperatures and more frequent and extreme hazards due to human-induced climate change," she added.
The report said the mean temperature for 2023 was the highest on record, with Mexico experiencing the fastest warming rate in the region.
Severe drought -- exacerbated by heatwaves -- affected large areas of Latin America, including much of Central America, forcing a reduction in shipping through the Panama Canal.
Further south, parts of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina were stricken by wildfires amid record temperatures. Uruguay saw its drinking water supply pushed to the brink.
The report also listed Hurricane Otis, which caused 51 deaths and more than $3 billion in damages when it struck the Mexican resort city of Acapulco in October.
- 'Acute food crisis' -
Brazil was hit by extreme floods and landslides in 2023 that killed dozens of people and caused massive economic losses and displacement, said the WMO.
The South American giant is once again in the grip of floods ravaging its southern Rio Grande do Sul state, where the death toll on Wednesday reached 100.
The report said sea levels rose at a higher rate than the global average in much of the Atlantic part of the region, threatening coastal areas and small island states.
Climate disasters hit agriculture and food security, with 13.8 million people having faced "acute food crisis" -- especially in Central America and the Caribbean, according to the WMO.
Sea temperature rises also reduced fishing catches in countries like Peru and Ecuador.
The report said economic damage of about $21 billion was reported for the region in 2023, mainly due to storms. Almost half of the damage was associated with Hurricane Otis.
"The actual amount of damage is likely to be worse because of under-reporting and because data on impacts are not available for some countries," it added.
"This is especially the case for heat-related extremes."
The report showed that changing rainfall patterns and warming temperatures were widening the geographic distribution of diseases such as malaria.
"In 2019, over three million cases of dengue were reported in the Americas, the highest number on record. This number was exceeded in the first seven months of 2023," it said.
The findings, said the WMO, illustrated that the region must invest more in forecasting and early-warning systems.
D.Cunningha--AMWN