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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Economy & Trade

Record-strength El Niño could mean higher supermarket bills for Australians, experts warn

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Experts warn that the most severe El Niño event on record could push Australian food prices higher.
  • The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts the event will peak in late spring or summer and exceed the warmest levels recorded since reliable data began in 1950.
  • Higher grocery costs could increase pressure on households and complicate the Reserve Bank’s efforts to bring inflation under control.

Australia is facing the prospect of a record-strength El Niño that could make supermarket shopping more expensive this year. Experts say the weather event threatens to add pressure to households already dealing with a post-pandemic rise in grocery bills.

The Bureau of Meteorology expects El Niño to peak in late spring or summer. It forecasts that the event will “reach levels above the warmest observed since reliable records began in 1950.”

Hot and dry conditions in growing areas of eastern Australia have been identified as one of the key issues likely to affect food prices over the next 12 months. The impact would come as consumers continue to face elevated food costs.

The price pressure could also make it harder for the Reserve Bank to bring inflation back under control, adding a further economic complication to the weather outlook.

reach levels above the warmest observed since reliable records began in 1950

· Bureau of MeteorologyThe bureau’s forecast describes the expected peak intensity of the El Niño event.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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