El Niño is stronger than ever.

El Niño is a natural event in the Pacific Ocean. Every few years the sea near the equator becomes much warmer. Then the weather changes in many countries. The name means little boy in Spanish.

This year El Niño is very strong. In September the sea was more than 3 degrees warmer than usual. That is a new record. The previous record dates from 2015. Scientists expect that El Niño will be at its strongest towards the end of the year.

El Niño brings droughts and floods. In some places there is no rain, while in others there is too much. In Indonesia there are many forest fires. In the Atlantic Ocean there are fewer hurricanes.

El Niño raises the temperature of the whole planet. That is why 2026 could be the warmest year so far. And 2027 could be even warmer.