El Nino explained, and what it means for Californians

Nypost · May 09, 2026 · 263 words · By Corey Moss

California Weather Risks Climate Prediction

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What to know about California Weather Risks

El Nino explained, and what it means for Californians Weather experts are predicting another El Niño in 2026, and whether it elevates to strong or “Super” levels is what Californians should be paying attention to.

Claims checked 4

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The late-summer through early-winter weather will be determined by what’s happening now in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near the equator … and that is warming water.

Common ground

“What that does is rising air, more evaporation, you’ve got more in the way of thunderstorms that develop,” FOX Weather meteorologist Craig Herrera explained.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this California Weather Risks story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The late-summer through early-winter weather will be determined by what’s happening now in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near the equator … and that is warming water?
How does this story connect California Weather Risks with Climate Prediction over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/09/science/el-nino-explained-and-what-it-means-for-ca…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 4 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

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Claim 1: “The late-summer through early-winter weather will be determined by what’s happening now in the middle of the Pacific Ocean near the equator … and that is warming water.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms that the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon emerging from variations in sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean, which drives weather patterns.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are many effects of climate change on oceans. One of the most important is an increase in ocean temperatures. More frequent marine heatwaves are linked to this. The rising temperature contribute…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_climate_change_on_o…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño–Southern_Oscillation

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_current

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “The next level higher is known as a “Super El Niño,””

CORROBORATED

Web search results from CNN and other sources explicitly use the term 'Super El Niño' to describe an event stronger than a typical El Niño, and discuss the monitoring of such intensity via the Nino3.4 index.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023–2024 El Niño was regarded as the fifth-most powerful El Niño–Southern Oscillation event in recorded history, resulting in widespread droughts, flooding and other natural disasters across the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–2024_El_Niño_event

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The discography of Latin-American heavy metal band Ill Niño consists of seven studio albums, one compilation album, one video album, three extended plays and nineteen singles. The band was founded in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ill_Niño_discography

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Most people in Southern California will remember Hilary. By the time it got to California, all of that moisture was getting banked up against the San Jacinto Mountains, drenched the deserts, and the effects were just catastrophic with the flooding. That’s when we had a strong El Nino.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hilary caused potentially catastrophic flooding in the mountains and deserts of California. Wikipedia notes that such events are more likely during El Niño years, and the 2023-2024 period was a powerful El Niño event.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 Pacific hurricane season was an active and highly destructive Pacific hurricane season. In the Eastern Pacific basin (east of 140°W), 17 named storms formed; 10 of those became hurricanes, of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Pacific_hurricane_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 1854, at least 106 tropical cyclones affected the U.S. state of California, including a hurricane in 1858 that produced hurricane-force winds near San Diego. This averages to roughly once a year…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_hurricanes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The list of United States hurricanes includes all tropical cyclones officially recorded to have produced sustained winds of greater than 74 mph (119 km/h) in the United States, which is the minimum th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_hurrican…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “Weather experts are predicting another El Niño in 2026”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence includes general weather service links and Wikipedia entries about the 2023-2024 El Niño, but none of the sources mention a specific prediction for another El Niño event in 2026.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Effects of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in Australia are present across most of Australia, particularly the north and the east, and are one of the main climate drivers of the country. Associated w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_the_El_Niño–Souther…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.