BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
How often does El Niño happen?
El Niño events typically occur every two to seven years, but their intensity and exact timing vary. The current El Niño, mentioned in our story for its role in record water vapour levels, is particularly strong and unusual. These natural climate patterns are driven by complex interactions between the ocean and atmosphere in the Pacific.
Stories that explain this
Earth's atmosphere hits record water vapour levels in August due to El NiñoQuestions this opens up
Why is this El Niño unusual? What causes El Niño? How long does El Niño last?Related explainers
What is El Niño? How does El Niño affect the UK? What's the opposite of El Niño? What can be done to prepare? How does global heating work? What is water vapour? How often do eclipses happen? How often do iOS updates happen?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under O →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.