Extreme heat, floods and drought threaten lives in Latin America and the Caribbean
At the launch of last year’s regional State of the Climate report, experts explained how Temperatures remain well above average, with rising sea levels and an increase in extreme weather events in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The report warns that climate shocks are increasingly disrupting food production, straining healthcare systems and threatening access to clean water across the region as extreme weather becomes more severe and frequent.
Threat to life and health
In 2025, intense heat waves caused temperatures to exceed 40°C in many parts of the region. record-breaking 52.7°C in Mexico. Brazil and Paraguay also recorded temperatures above 44°C.
The WMO warned that extreme heat is becoming a major threat to public health, especially for vulnerable communities with limited access to health care, cooling and reliable electricity.
Many countries still do not routinely track heat-related deaths, but the report estimates about one Between 2012 and 2021, 13,000 people died annually from heat-related causes in 17 countries.
Food insecurity is increasing
More and more extreme rainfall patterns worsen humanitarian conditions across the region, with communities facing cycles of devastating floods and prolonged drought.
In 2025, floods affected more than 110,000 people in Peru and Ecuador, while floods in Mexico killed 83 people and caused widespread infrastructure damage and landslides.
At the same time, severe drought affected up to 85 percent of Mexico, causing major water shortages for crops and reservoirs, despite the country experiencing its wettest June on record.
Water shortages were also reported in the Caribbean, while drought in southern South America increased agricultural losses and the risk of wildfires.
The WMO warned that worsening climate extremes are putting increasing pressure on agricultural production and food processing (agri-food) systems, threatening livelihoods, access to food and rural communities across the region.
The melting of glaciers threatens the water supply
The rapid retreat of the glaciers in the Andes also raises alarms about future water security.
Andean glaciers provide fresh water to almost 90 million people people, supporting drinking water, agriculture, hydropower and industry.
However, glaciers in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina are melting at an increasingly rapid rate, increasing the risk of both flooding and long-term water shortages.
“The signs of a changing climate are unmistakable across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulowarning of the accelerating loss of glaciers, rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, floods and drought.
“The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025 is not just a scientific publication. It’s a call to action. It calls on us to strengthen observations, invest in services, close early warning gaps and ensure climate information reaches those who need it most,” she says.
Hurricanes and rising seas
The report also highlighted the growing danger of rapidly intensifying storms.
Hurricane Melissa became the first recorded Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in Jamaica in October 2025. killing 45 people and causing economic losses worth more than 41 percent of the country’s GDP.
Meanwhile, rising sea levels and warming oceans are increasing risks to coastal communities, fisheries and marine ecosystems along the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts.
The sea level in parts of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean is rising faster than the global average.
WMO officials warned that without urgent investment in climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and early warning systems, humanitarian needs across the region are likely to worsen.
