The Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that another El Niño event is underway in Australia. As climate change continues to supercharge our weather, the impacts on natural climate phenomena like El Niño become increasingly significant.
The announcement comes as fires burn around the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. In Sydney, today marks the hottest three consecutive days ever recorded during September, alongside the announcement of a total fire ban, catastrophic fire conditions for the NSW south coast, and school closures in some areas.
So what is ‘El Niño’, and what does this mean for upcoming summers when combined with accelerating climate change? Climate Council experts Professor David Karoly and Greg Mullins explain.