Region of the southernmost African states and landscapes
Meteorological agencies and the UN have reported a very strong El Niño that has continued to intensify in August 2026. Forecasts show record-warm Pacific sea-surface temperatures, rising global heat and an elevated risk of droughts, floods and food insecurity that will push tens of millions more people into acute hunger this year and next.
A head-on collision on Mozambique’s EN1 has claimed 17 lives, all passengers in a public transport vehicle, with authorities continuing investigations. The tragedy follows a rising toll from road crashes as the government calls for stricter adherence to traffic laws.
French authorities have reported the first recognised human infection with Shamonda virus in a severely immunocompromised patient who died in early October. The virus has been detected in livestock across 14 European territories since summer and is spread by biting midges; officials say no health risk to the general population has been identified.