El Niño Could Cost the Global Economy Trillions—and UK Cider Is Already Feeling It

The United Nations has issued a stark warning: a “supersized” El Niño weather event is underway, and its economic fallout will be felt worldwide. The phenomenon, which involves unusual warming of Pacific Ocean waters, typically disrupts rainfall patterns, triggers droughts, and fuels floods across different continents. The UN’s alert comes as UK cider producers report severe losses. Drought conditions have shrunk apple harvests, driving up costs and threatening supply. For consumers, this means higher prices and potential shortages of one of Britain’s most popular drinks. In a separate development, the tech giant Nvidia has agreed to buy Hugging Face, an AI platform, for $12.9 billion. The deal signals a major consolidation in the artificial intelligence sector, as companies race to control the tools and data that power next-generation software. While the Nvidia acquisition is a corporate story, the El Niño warning carries far wider implications. Experts say the economic damage from extreme weather—crop failures, infrastructure strain, and energy price spikes—could run into trillions of dollars. Governments and businesses are urged to prepare for supply chain disruptions and food price inflation in the coming months.