El Niño: What to expect

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Phil** (0:24)
From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

**Georgie** (0:31)
In this programme, the next El Nino could be the strongest in decades, UN warns.

**Phil** (0:40)
Hello, I'm Phil.

**Georgie** (0:42)
And I'm Georgie.

**Phil** (0:43)
In this programme, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

**Georgie** (0:50)
You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode as well as a worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

**Phil** (0:58)
So, let's hear more about this story.

**Georgie** (1:07)
A new phase of the natural El Nino weather pattern could begin in a few weeks, the UN has warned.

**Phil** (1:13)
El Nino is the name for a natural climate event where seawater temperatures rise in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. It creates unusually hot and stormy weather.

**Georgie** (1:24)
Several forecasts from national weather agencies suggest it could end up as one of the strongest ever recorded, a possible so-called Super El Nino.

**Phil** (1:34)
The World Meteorological Organization said this El Nino is likely to strengthen over the rest of 2026, driving more extreme weather around much of the globe.

**Georgie** (1:45)
Let's have our first headline. This one is from Reuters.
UN warns of extreme heat risk from El Nino and urges preparedness.

**Phil** (1:54)
That headline again, and this is from Reuters. UN warns of extreme heat risk from El Nino and urges preparedness.

**Georgie** (2:02)
So this headline is about the warnings about rising temperatures as a result of El Nino.
We're looking at this word preparedness. Let's break it up, Phil.

**Phil** (2:12)
Yes, you probably know the verb prepare meaning get ready. And the adjective prepared means that someone or something is ready.

**Georgie** (2:20)
Right. And preparedness is the noun meaning the state of being prepared for something. So if we go back to the headline, the UN urges preparedness.
Urge means strongly encourage. So the UN is strongly encouraging the world to be ready for rising temperatures. They urge preparedness.

**Phil** (2:39)
Now, this is different from the noun preparation. Preparation is the act of getting ready, whereas preparedness is the state of being ready. It's a finished result.
The UN wants the world to be ready for the warming effects of El Niño.

**Georgie** (3:00)
Preparedness is often used in serious contexts, like disaster preparedness, pandemic preparedness and military preparedness.

**Phil** (3:09)
A quick note on pronunciation. Compare the words prepared and preparedness. When we change prepared to preparedness, people usually add an extra syllable before preparedness. Listen again, prepared and preparedness.
You might also hear preparedness.

**Georgie** (3:31)
We've had preparedness, the state of being ready.

**Phil** (3:35)
For example, the COVID pandemic highlighted the importance of preparedness.

**Georgie** (3:45)
This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. Today, we're talking about the return of El Nino, which could be the strongest in decades.

**Phil** (3:56)
An El Nino event happens every two to seven years as part of a natural cycle and affects weather all around the world.

**Georgie** (4:04)
Not every El Nino event is the same, but scientists have observed some common effects.

**Phil** (4:09)
A strong El Nino typically brings hot, dry weather to parts of South America, Southeast Asia and Australia, increasing the chances of droughts and wildfires.

**Georgie** (4:20)
It can also bring heavier rainfall to southern parts of the US, increasing the risks of flooding.

**Phil** (4:26)
And that's what our next headline is about. This is from the National Ocean Service, which is an official website of the US government.
El Nino and high tide flooding, a possible double whammy for some coastal communities in 2026

**Georgie** (4:42)
And that headline again, El Nino and high tide flooding, a possible double whammy for some coastal communities in 2026 And that's from National Ocean Service, an official website of the US government.

**Phil** (4:56)
This headline is about flood risks along both the East and West Coast of the US due to both decades of rising sea levels and extreme weather caused by El Nino.
This time, let's look at the phrase double whammy. What can you tell us?

**Georgie** (5:12)
Well, the first part of this phrase, double, means to.
The word whammy is an informal term for something negative. So a double whammy means two bad things happening at the same time. Now, the word whammy is not very common on its own, but double whammy is quite a common phrase.