How does El Niño impact global weather patterns this year?

El Niño is like a warm blanket that covers part of the ocean and changes how the weather behaves around the world.

Imagine you're in a big kitchen, and the stove is on one side, heating up the air. That’s kind of what El Niño does, it warms up part of the Pacific Ocean, which then affects the wind and rain across many places.

When El Niño happens, warm water moves east, changing how winds blow and where rain falls. In some places, like parts of North America, this means more rain and even snow, like when you leave a glass of water out in the cold and it freezes over!

In other places, like Australia or Indonesia, the warm water takes away the rain, making it drier than usual, just like how your plants might wilt if they don’t get enough water.

This year, because El Niño is strong, we're seeing these effects more clearly. Some places are getting extra wet weather, while others are experiencing droughts or heatwaves, all because of that warm ocean blanket affecting the planet's weather recipe!