What Is El Niño? And why it could cause chaos this year

This episode of What in the World dives into the growing threat of El Niño, warning that the 2026 event could be one of the most powerful on record—so intense scientists are calling it 'Godzilla El Niño.' Host Hannah, joined by climate correspondent Georgina Ranaut, explains how El Niño works: when trade winds weaken, warm water from the western Pacific surges eastward, disrupting global weather patterns. The result? Extreme heat in India and Europe, droughts in Australia and parts of Africa, more intense hurricanes in the Pacific, and disrupted marine ecosystems. What makes this year especially alarming is that El Niño is叠加 on top of human-caused climate change, which has already raised global temperatures by 1.5°C. Scientists fear this year’s El Niño could push global temperatures up by 3°C—potentially breaking records and accelerating climate impacts. Despite the inevitability of the natural cycle, the episode emphasizes that preparedness for climate change—like better urban cooling, flood defenses, and water management—can help communities weather the storm. The episode also reveals the surprising origin of the name 'El Niño'—a 17th-century Peruvian fishing term meaning 'the boy' (referring to Jesus) used by fishermen who noticed warmer waters and fewer fish around Christmas. Its counterpart, La Niña ('the girl'), brings cooler waters and opposite weather effects.