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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-in-the-world-6570991/what-is-el-ni-o-and-why-it-could-cause-chaos-this-year
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-in-the-world-6570991/what-is-el-ni-o-and-why-it-could-cause-chaos-this-year.md
Podcast: [What in the World](https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-in-the-world-6570991)
Published: 2026-06-02T13:34:00+00:00
Episode link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct98zr
Audio file: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss/proto/http/vpid/p0nqtc0l.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-in-the-world-6570991/episodes/what-is-el-ni-o-and-why-it-could-cause-chaos-this-year
Duration seconds: 606

## Resource

New forecasts show that the developing El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean could be one of the strongest on record. The weather phenomenon could be so strong, scientists and the UN are describing it as a “Super El Niño” or “Godzilla El Niño.” And with that comes warnings of record global temperatures and huge potential humanitarian impacts. But what exactly is El Niño and its sister phenomenon La Niña? BBC Climate & Science correspondent Georgina Rannard breaks it down. She also explains the origins of their names, why it can lead to flooding in some regions and droughts in others, how it relates to climate change, and what people can to do prepare for its consequences. We also hear from Drishti in India and Santiago in the US for how they’re being affected. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Adam Chowdhury Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Emily Horler This audio was updated on 8th June 2026 to remove an incorrect figure.

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## Transcript

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