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World Service,28 Sep 2026,27 mins

The Super El Nino: what happens when it hits us?

The Global Story

Available for over a year

Climate scientists have put out a dire warning about this year鈥檚 El Ni帽o; that it will likely be the worst in recorded history. And if previous 鈥榮uper鈥� El Ni帽os are anything to go by, that means that this cycle will bring extreme weather - flooding, drought, wildfires, and hunger- across the world. But how do scientists know what the effects of an El Ni帽o will be? And how do they communicate that information to governments and the public in a way that causes calm preparedness instead of panic? Tom Di Liberto is a former climate scientist for the US government鈥檚 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a science communicator, who specialises in monitoring El Ni帽o phenomena. He joins us on today鈥檚 show. Producers: Hannah Moore and Mhairi MacKenzie Executive producer: Bridget Harney Mix: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: A man wades through water in northern Peru, in 2017, during that year鈥檚 El Ni帽o. Credit: Ernesto Benavides/AFP.

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