El Niño Is Back (May 11, 2026)
It's Going To Be Hot This Summer!
ℹ️ What? The El Niño climate phenomenon is likely to return as early as summer 2026, potentially making it one of the strongest ever recorded.
👤 Who? Scientists from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Météo-France are closely monitoring the Pacific Ocean.
🌍 Where? El Niño occurs in the Pacific Ocean, near the equator, but its effects on weather are felt worldwide.
🕰️ When? The phenomenon is expected to take hold between May and July 2026 and last until the end of the year, or even into 2027.
❓ Why is it important? Because El Niño can cause heat waves, droughts, extreme rainfall and make 2026 one of the hottest years in history.
🎯 For this activity, your goal will be to learn more about El Niño.
Your Goal Today!
Have you noticed that summers are getting hotter and hotter? 🌡️🥵
This year, a natural phenomenon called El Niño could make an appearance and send temperatures soaring even higher. Scientists even think it could be the most powerful ever recorded!
Heat waves, droughts, floods, forest fires: its effects will be felt all over the planet.
But what exactly is El Niño? And why does it worry climatologists so much? Let's find out together.
🎯 For this activity, your goal will be to learn more about El Niño.
The activity has three steps:
STEP 1 — An Intense Weather Phenomenon. You'll discover El Niño and understand its sometimes devastating effects!
STEP 2 — How To Predict El Niño? You'll learn how we know an El Niño summer is coming...
STEP 3 — La Niña, The Little Sister! You'll meet La Niña, El Niño's twin.
Here is what the final result of your activity will look like. →
Let's go! →
STEP 1 — An Intense Weather Phenomenon
It's going to be hot this summer, and it's all El Niño's fault! 🔥
This weather phenomenon is significant because its effects are felt all over the globe.
"El Niño" means "the child," referring to the Christ Child, because South American fishermen noticed that the strongest effects of El Niño occurred around Christmas!
A funny name for a phenomenon that can sometimes be destructive...
Watch this video from the National Geographic website and answer the following questions about El Niño!
Let's move on to Step 2! →
STEP 2 — How To Predict El Niño?
How can we know if we're going to have an El Niño?
By observing whether the average temperature of the Pacific Ocean is rising or falling!
Using satellites and floating buoys, scientists measure the water temperature every month and compare it to the average.
When the water becomes warmer than usual for several months in a row, that's the signal: an El Niño is coming!
Look at this data and the corresponding graph. It shows you the temperature differences in the Pacific Ocean over the last 20 years.
For example, you can see that in 2006, the average temperature of the Pacific Ocean dropped by -0.8°C. Phew! No El Niño that year!
Let's move on to STEP 3! →
STEP 3 — La Niña, the little sister!
So far, we've talked about El Niño… but did you know it's not alone? The Pacific also has another mood, called La Niña, which does the exact opposite.
Understanding these two phenomena is like having a compass to predict the planet's weather: where it will rain, where it will be too dry, where crops will suffer.
So get your keyboard and your observation skills ready: it's time to go hunting!
Read this short text about La Niña, then find the countries mentioned using Google Earth!
Read this short text about La Niña, then find the countries mentioned using Google Earth!
You have completed the activity! →
