Scientists said this week that a developing El Niño is likely to amplify heatwaves, droughts and floods this year, but warned that the long-term warming caused by burning fossil fuels remains the main driver of climate extremes. El Niño is the warm phase of a semi-regular temperature oscillation in the tropical Pacific Ocean, during which massive amounts of heat stored in the ocean are released into the atmosphere, temporarily raising the average annual global surface temperature by as much as 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit. … Hotspots at the confluence of El Niño-driven droughts and ongoing planetary heating are expected in wildfire-prone regions, including … the western United States. … [T]he combination of El Niño on top of ongoing warming has driven a “whiplash” between extreme moisture and extreme drought in some regions.

Other weather and water forecast news:

• Record Searchlight (Redding, Calif.): Drought and worse-than-usual heat in summer forecast around California
• FOX Weather: Brewing ‘Super’ El Niño may self-destruct after reaching record peak, triggering rapid La Niña return in 2027
• The Week: Is the world ready for a record-breaking El Niño?