What are El Niño and La Niña, and how do they change the weather? - BBC News

Global temperatures and rain patterns are affected by climate phenomena known as El Niño/La Niña.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsClimate changeImage source, EPAImage caption, Australia experienced severe flooding in October 2022 as a result of La NiñaBy Esme StallardBBC News Climate and ScienceNew data shows that 2022 was the fifth hottest year for Europe since records began.

But scientists are warning that 2023 could be even warmer, as a climate phenomenon called La Niña - which has been suppressing global temperatures - comes to an end.

La Niña is part of a climate phenomenon called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system.

It has two opposite states - El Niño and La Niña - both of which significantly alter weather patterns across the globe.

For the last few years, the world has been in successive La Niña periods, which have lowered temperatures and brought heavy rains to Canada and Australia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64192508?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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