Research suggests: Faster swings for La Niña & El Niño

Swings between El Niño and La Niña, two sides of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, will become more common.

That is according to research by the International Centre for Research on the El Niño Phenomenon, based in Ecuador, and Peru's meteorology agency.

The current El Niño event, which is now weakening, ranks as one of the strongest since 1950.

While both El Niño, the warmer period for the Pacific Ocean, and La Niña, where waters cool, will become more common, they will also become more intense.

The current El Niño period saw temperatures across much of South America soar far above the long-term averages.

Peru saw its warmest winter for 60 years, while Argentina saw a wetter season, helping recover from a drought in 2023.