Live: Experts answer your questions about El Niño and its impact on Australia

live El Niño Q&A live: Experts answer your questions as BOM declares weather event The Bureau of Meteorology has formally declared an El Niño weather event, meaning one is underway for the first time since 2023. The major climate events impact the weather patterns of 60 per cent of the globe, and Australia is particularly vulnerable. To help make sense of this, ABC News Breakfast meteorologist Nate Byrne and the Climate Council's Andrew Watkins will join us on the blog to answer some of your questions about El Niño. Join us live. Submit a comment or question Live updates New: Filters Choose what information you see below by using filters Thu 18 Jun 2026 at 10:41am 📹 What is a super El Niño? Prefer to watch a video on what an El Niño event is? Check out this handy 3 minute video explainer: Loading...Thu 18 Jun 2026 at 10:38am What causes an El Niño event? Let's try to answer this as simply as we can. El Niño refers to an extended period of warmer-than-normal waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which causes a shift in atmospheric circulation. Typically, the equatorial trade winds blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean. El Niño events are associated with a weakening, or even reversal, of the prevailing trade winds. Warming of ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific causes this area to become more favourable for tropical rainfall and cloud development. As a result, the heavy rainfall that usually occurs to the north of Australia moves to the central and eastern parts of the Pacific basin. Thu 18 Jun 2026 at 10:34am Submit your questions for our Q&A Our experts are ready to answer your burning El Niño questions, so that means it's time to send them through! You can submit your questions to the blog by tapping the yellow "Login to comment" button above. We'll try to get through as many as we can. Thu 18 Jun 2026 at 10:30am What did BOM announce? It's official: El Niño has arrived. On Tuesday, the BOM declared that the major climate driver was locked in across the tropical Pacific, with experts warning it could intensify into one of the strongest events in decades. The Bureau has pointed out that "around half of the models indicate this event could peak at levels among the highest observed since 1950". El Niño often brings drier conditions to central and eastern Australia in winter and spring. But Australia's weather is also shaped by other climate factors, so outcomes can vary. Thu 18 Jun 2026 at 10:25am Welcome to today's Q&A Good morning and thanks for being here with us. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has officially declared an El Niño weather event, and there's a lot to unpack about what that means for us here in Australia. To help break it all down, we've brought in a powerhouse panel: - ABC News Breakfast meteorologist Nate Byrne, and - Climate Council's Andrew Watkins. So, if you've got any questions jumping out at you, now is the time to send them through. Let's get straight into it!