Why is extreme weather becoming more frequent and intense?

The Earth is getting hotter, and that makes weather act more like a kid who just got a new toy, excited and a little out of control.

Imagine your house has a heater. When it's cold outside, you turn the heater up to stay warm. Now imagine turning that heater all the way to high for a long time. The whole house gets warmer, right? That’s what’s happening on Earth, we’re putting more heat into the air, and it stays there longer.

Think of the atmosphere like a big bath. When you put hot water in a cold bath, it mixes and makes the whole bath warm. The Earth is like that bath, we're adding more heat than ever before, so everything gets warmer. That means storms can get bigger and stronger because there's more energy to go around.

When it rains or snows, the air holds more moisture because it’s warmer. It’s like a sponge that can soak up more water. Then when the weather changes, say from hot to cold, that extra moisture comes out all at once, making rain heavier and snow bigger.

So the Earth is getting hotter, and that gives the weather more power, just like you have more energy after eating your favorite snack!